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PRIMER 



ELOCUTION 



ACTION 



BV K. TOWNSEXD SOUTHWICK 



Original Illustrations 



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T 

THIRD EDITION-REVISED AND ENLARGED 



New York 
EDGAR S. WERNER 

108 East 16th Street 
1895 






Copyright, lfioo. 1394 

BY 
EDGAR S. WERNER 

All Rights Reserved 






Bustfn JB. ffletcber, B./lft., XX.JB., 

TO WHOM, 

AS ARTIST, TEACHER. AND FRIEND, I OWE 

MUCH MORE THAN THIS SIMPLE 

TRIBUTE CAN REPAY. 



PREFACE. 



This little work is intended for beginners in expres- 
sion. It gives, in as simple language as the writer 
can command, the elements of the art. The order in 
which the lessons are given is in accordance with 
the author's experience in teaching classes of the 
grade for which it is designed. Teachers of wider 
experience may find another arrangement preferable ; 
if so, it is an easy matter to assign the lessons as they 
please. The difficulty has been to select only such 
exercises and rules as are absolutely essential for 
young students. It cannot be expected that all will 
agree with the author's judgment in this particular ; 
nevertheless, the satisfactory results obtained by 
adhering strictly to the matter contained herein have 
convinced him that while much of importance might 
easily have been added, nothing that was absolutely 
necessary has been omitted. Suggestions looking 
toward improvement will, however, be thankfully re- 
ceived. 

Toward the end, the lessons are more difficult and 
longer than in the beginning. Since the book was 
planned to cover at least a school-year of ordinary 
elocutionary training, the latter part, it is hoped, will 
be found to have but kept pace with the mental and 
artistic development of the pupil. The chapters on 
pantomimic expression may, however, be subdivided 
or reserved for a second year's course, if deemed ad- 
visable. Many pupils will, of course, go over the 
whole ground very quickly. 

I do not advocate memorizing the lessons. The 

5 



6 PRE FA CE. 

constant necessity for applying the instructions to the 
practical work of expression will soon fix in the pupil's 
mind all that is of importance. Discuss thoroughly 
each chapter, multiplying the illustrations and trying 
to lead the pupil to work out for himself, if possible, 
the solution of the problems under consideration. 

Exercises relating to a particular subject are num- 
bered consecutively throughout the book without re- 
gard to other exercises that may intervene. For 
instance, under Breathing, Exercis( s 1, 2, and 3 will 
be found in Lesson IV., and 4, 5, (>, and 7 in Lesson 
XIX. This will, it is believed, aid in keeping each 
subject more completely apart from the others than if 
the ordinary method of numbering were followed. 

Little will be found here relating to emotional ex- 
pression; such work belongs to a later period of 
mental development than was contemplated in pre- 
paring this manual. The painful exhibition of preco- 
cious, hot-house passion has no part in the author's 
scheme of education. Even those of more mature 
years who may find this manual useful are advised to 
thoroughly master its precepts before essaying higher 
flights. The great essential is a solid foundation < 1' 
conversational delivery. Emotion that is genuine will 
rind its own outlet, if the channels of expression are 
free. 

It is hard to specify each case of the author's in- 
debtedness to others. Little can be claimed for the 
book on the score of originality except in arrange- 
ment and selection of material. Much of its contents 
is the common property of all good teachers ; the few 
things that are not, the author has paid well for 
either in money or in hard work. 



CONTENTS. 



LESSON. PAGE. 

Preface, 5 

I. The Speaker's Position, 11 

II. The Speaker's Position, continued, 14 

III. Phrasing, 16 

IV. Breathing -Exercises, 21 

V. Emphasis, 24 

VI. Position, continued, 30 

VII. Inflection, 32 

VIII. Position, continued — Flexibility, 37 

IX. The Vocal Apparatus, -. 40 

X. Vocal Exercises, 44 

XI. Articulation, 46 

XII. Flexibility — Hands and Fingers — Wrists, ... 48 

XIII. Minor Inflections— Position, continued, .... 51 

XIV. Flexibility, continued— The Vowels, continued, 53 
XV. Emphasis, continued 57 

XVI. For Independence of the Legs— The Vowels, 

continued, 60 

XVII. Rules for Emphasis, continued, 62 

XVIII. Flexibility, continued— The Vowels, continued, 67 

XIX. Breathing- Exercises, continued— The Vowels, 

continued . 69 

XX. The Language of the Body — Pantomimic Ex- 
pression, 73 

XXI. The Torso 76 

XXII. Inflections, continued— The Vowels, continued, 79 

XXIII. The Legs, : 85 

XXIV. Articulation— The Vowels, continued— The Con- 

sonants, 90 

XXV. The Head 92 

XXVI. Articulation, continued — Vocal Exercises, con'd 96 

XXVII. Attitudes of the Head, continued, 100 

XXVIII. Climax, 104 

XXIX. The Eye 108 

XXX. Rhythm 112 

XXXI. Actions of the Hand 117 

XXXII. Articulation, continued— Vocal Exercises, con'd 121 

XXXIII. Actions of the Hand, continued, 124 

XXXIV. Pitch, Movement and Volume, 128 

XXXV. Fall-Arm Gestures 133 

XXXVI. Oppositions of the Head and Arms, 138 

XXXVII. Articulation, con'd— Difficult Combinations, . . 147 

XXXVIII. Facial Expression 150 

XXXIX. Description, 155 

XL. Final Hints on Attitudes and Bearings 162 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Fig. 


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11. 


Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


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Fig. 


32. 


Fig. 


83. 


Fig. 


34. 


Fig. 


35. 



PACK. 

Speaker's Position 12 

Attitude of Respect, 30 

Swaying the Hip 37 

Relaxing the Hand 40 

Relaxing the Wrist 50 

Relaxing the Neck 53 

Swaying the Leg 54 

The Head Erect, 93 

The Head Bowed 93 

The Head Lifted 94 

The Head Pivoted 94 

The Head Enclined 100 

The Head Advanced 101 

The Head Drawn Hark 101 

The Head Hung 102 

The Head Thrown Back 102 

Simple Indication, Hand (July 117 

Full-Arm Indication 134 

[ndication, Palm Down, Attitude of Hand 134 

Folding the Arm, (a) Pivoting 135 

Folding the Arm, (o) at the Wrist 135 

Folding the Arm, (c) Completed, 135 

Indication with Folding Movement, 136 

Oppositions of Head and Arm, Beginning of Indi- 
cation, 140 

I Oppositions of Head and Arm, Conclusion of Indi- 
cation 140 

Oppositions in Rejection, Beginning 141 

Oppositions in Rejection, Conclusion 141 

Oppositions in Affirmation, Beginning, 142 

Oppositions in Affirmation, Conclusion, Side View, 142 
Oppositions in Affirmation, Conclusion, Front 

View . . . 142 

Oppositions in Assertion, Beginning, 143 

Oppositions in Assertion, Conclusion, 143 

Oppositions in Repulsion— Advanced Foot, .... 144 

Oppositions in Repulsion— Retired Foot, 144 

Attitude of Arms in Reflection, 163 

8 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Actions (see Gestures), 78 

Analysis for Emphasis, Rules for, 57, 62 

Arms, The, 163 

Articulation, 46, 90, 96, 121 

Articulation, Difficult Combinations 147 

Attitude (see also Position), 78 

Attitude, The Speaker's, 11 

Attitude of Respect, 30 

Attitude, Laws of 86, 164 

Attitude, Illustrations of, 86 

Attitudes and Bearings, Final Hints on, 162 

Ball of Foot, For Getting Weight of Body on, 31 

Bearings (see also Attitude), 79 

Body, The, 164 

Body, The Language of the, 73 

Bowing, 110 

Breast-bone, 41 

Breathing- Exercises, 21, 22, 69 

Chest. The, 14, 75, 76, 163 

Chest and Shoulders, 76 

Climax, 104 

Consonants, The, 91 

Description, 155 

Elbow, The. 163 

Emphasis, 24, 57, 62 

Eye, The, 108 

Eye, Direct, 108 

Eye, Indirect, 109 

Facial Expression, 150 

Feet, The, 13, 162 

9 



10 INDEX. 

Flexibility : page. 

Ex. I. Hands and Fingers 49 

Ex. II. Wrists, 50 

Ex. III. For Muscles of the Neck and Jaw, 53 

Ex. IV. For Legs, 54 

Ex. V. For Arms 67 

Ex. VI. For Arms 67 

Forehead, The, 150 

Free Side, 13 

Free Foot, 13 

Gestures 78 

( testures, Full arm: 

Ex. I. Indication (Palm up) 133 

Ex. II. Indication (Palm down) 134 

Ex. 111. Indication of Self -folding movement 135 

Ex. IV. Suspense 136 

Ex. V. Returning to Rest 137 

Hand, The 163 

Band, Actions of tluv 

Ex. I. Simple Indication 117 

Ex. II. Beckoning 119 

Ex. III. Admiration 119 

Ex. IV. Repulsion 119 

Ex. v. Appeal 124 

Ex. VI. Rejection 124 

Ex. YII. Declaration . . 124 

Ex. VIII. Declaration with Surrender 125 

Ex. IX. Concealment 125 

Bead, The 12, 92 

Ex. I. Erect 93 

Ex. II. Bowed, 93 

Ex. III. Lifted 94 

Ex. IV. Pivoted, 94 

Ex. V. Inclined, 100 

Ex. VI. Advanced 101 

Ex. VII. Drawn Back, 101 

Ex. VIII. Hung, 101 

Ex. IX. Thrown Back - 101 

Hips, The 13, 14, 75, 77, 162 



INDEX. 10a 

PAGE. 

Hip, Swaying the, 37 

Imitation, 155 

Inflection, 32, 79 

Inflection, Minor, 51 

Inflection, Major, 51 

Inflection, Circumflex 79 

Inflection, Double Circumflex, 81 

Jaw, The Lower, 152 

Knees, The, 14, 162 

Language of the Body, The 73 

Larynx, The, 42 

Legs, For Flexibility of the, 54 

For Independence of the 60 

Weight on One Foot, 85 

Weight on Both Feet, 87 

Lips, The, 151 

Lungs, The 40 

Mouth, The, 151 

Movement 128 

Nose, The, 151 

Oppositions of the Head and Arms 138 

Ex. I. Indication with, 139 

Ex. II. Rejection or Denial, 140 

Ex. III. Rejection of Trifles, 141 

Ex. IV. Affirmation 142 

Ex. V. Assertion, 143 

Ex. VI. Repulsion 144 

Pantomimic Expression 73 

Phrasing 16 

Pitch, Movement and Volume 128 

Poise, Transition of 52 

Position (see also Attitude) 11, 14, 30, 37, 78 

Speaker's, The 11, 14 

Exercises in, Ex. I., 12 

Exercises in, Ex. II., 15 

Exercises in, Ex. Ill 30 

Exercises in, Ex. IV 31 



105 INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Exercises in, Ex. V., 37 

Exercises in, Ex. VI., 38 

Exercises in, Ex. VII. , 52 

Reading, 16 

Rhythm, 112 

Shoulders, The, 13, 14, 75, 7G 

Sitting, 15, 87 

Standing Front View, 12 

Standing Side View, 14 

Strong Foot, 13 

Strong Side, 13 

Torso, The 75, 76 

Vocal Apparatus. The 40 

Vocal Bands, The 42 

Vocal Exercises, 44 

Ex. I. " Start " of the Tone, 44 

Ex. II. -start "of the Tone 45 

Ex. III. "Start" of the Tone, 45 

Ex. IV. For Speaking without Waste of Breath, ... 97 

Ex. V. For Forward Placing of the Voice, 122 

Volume 128 

Vowels, The 46, 55, 62, 68, 70, 81, 90 

Windpipe, The 41 



INDEX TO RECITATIONS. 



Adams and Jefferson. Daniel Webster 185 

Against Whipping in the Navy. Commodore Stockton. . . . 230 

Alexander Ypsilanti 217 

Battle of Naseby, The. Thomas Macaulay 198 

Bells of Shandon, The. Francis Mahoney 196 

Brutus on the Death of Caesar. Shakespeare 178 

Chambered Nautilus, The. O. W. Holmes 221 

Charge of the Light Brigade, The. Alfred Tennyson 170 

Christmas Party at Scrooge's Nephew's, The. Charles Dickens 211 

Dedication of Gettysburg Cemetery. Abraham Lincoln. . . 177 

Discontented Pendulum, The. Jane Taylor 172 

Duel, The. Thomas Hood 169 

Echo and the Ferry. Jean Ingelow 189 

Facilis Descensus. Congregationalist 236 

Fox at the Point of Death, The. John Gay 186 

Hamlet's Instruction to the Players. Shakespeare 168 

Herve Riel. Robert Browning 226 

Incident of the French Camp 191 

Langley Lane. Robert Buchanan 183 

Leper, The. N. P. Willis 187 

Little Stowaway, The 199 

Man in the Moon, The. James Whitcomb Riley 237 

Marmion and Douglas. Walter Scott 215 

Mice at Play. Neil Forest 218 

Mont Blanc before Sunrise. S. T. Coleridge 241 

Origin of Roast Pig, The. Charles Lamb 180 

Owl and the Bell, The. George Macdonald 202 

Owl Critic, The. J. T. Fields 224 

Palmer's Vision, The. J. G. Holland 213 

Plain Tale of 1893, A. N. Y. Tribune 207 

Portia's Speech on Mercy. Shakespeare 195 

Prodigal Son, The. Bible 167 

Reading for the Thought. John Ruskin 194 

Scene from " Julius Caesar. " Shakespeare 232 

Scene from " The Rivals." Richard Brinsley Sheridan . . . 204 

Star-Spangled Banner, The. F. S. Key 179 

Supporting the Guns. Detroit Free Press 234 

Sweet and Low. Alfred Tennyson 223 

Sympathy with the Greeks. Henry Clay 192 

" Tramp Abroad, A, " Selection from. Mark Twain 238 

Twenty-Third Psalm. Bible 223 

Two Views of Christmas. Charles Dickens 209 

Wind and the Moon, The. George Macdonald 174 



PRIMER 

OF 

Elocution and Action. 



LESSON I. 



The Speaker's Position. 



The best position for the speaker is that in which 
he can speak or read effectively for the longest time 
with the greatest ease, antl which, at the same time, 
allows the greatest freedom of movement. 

A speaker in a constrained position is always more 
or less embarrassed, because his attention is called 
continually to unpleasant sensations in his hands, feet, 
or head, as the case may be ; on the other hand, a 
comfortable position puts both speaker and audience 
at ease. Without a correct and graceful position the 
gestures will be awkward and unnatural, and the voice 
will be constrained ; therefore, it is necessary to ac- 
quire this first of all. 

11 



12 



FIRST LESSON. 



Exercise I. 
Standing. 
Front View. 
Stand in an animated manner with 
the weight of the body upon the right 
foot, which should be firmly planted 
on the floor ; have the chief part of the 
weight upon the ball of the foot, but 
do not let the heel rise. Do not let 
the right leg sag and, on the other 
hand, do not stiffen the knee. 

The right hip will tend outward a 
little at the side. This is its natural 
position ; do not draw up the body so 
thai the hip is straight above the foot. 
The shoulders will incline slightly 
to the left, just sufficiently to balance 
fig. i. the outward position of the hip. If 

the shoulders are kept exactly even, the right side 
of the body will seem to overbalance the other side. 
If the hi}) and shoulders are rightly balanced, the 
notch in the collar-bone (which is just half-way be- 
tween the shoulders) will be exactly over the instep 
of the right foot. This will not be the case if either 
the hip or the shoulders are out of position. 

The head should not be held stiffly erect, but al- 
lowed to incline a very little toward the right 
shoulder. 




THE SPEAKER'S POSITION. 13 

The arms should hang loosely and naturally at the 
sides, with the palms of the hands toward the body. 

The left foot should be about opposite the right 
foot at the side, and at a little distance from it, the left 
leg being passive. If the attitude is perfectly easy 
and natural, the left knee will fall slightly inward. 

Practise this position with the weight upon the 
left foot also. You should be able to stand equally 
well on either foot. 

In the description of an exercise we usually speak 
of the foot which supports the weight of the body as 
the strong foot, and the corresponding side of the 
body as the strong side. The other foot we call 
the free foot because, if the body be properly bal- 
anced, it will have complete freedom of movement in 
every possible direction. 

In this position, as we described it, the right side 
was the strong side, and the left the free side, or, as 
it is sometimes called, the "weak" side. When the 
weight of the body is transferred to the left foot, that 
becomes the strong and the right becomes the free 
foot, and of course the positions of hip, shoulders, 
and head are reversed. 



LESSON II. 



The Speaker's Position.— Continued. 



Standing. 
i Yew. 

Bo careful that the knee of the strong leg is firm 
without stiffness. 

The hips should nol be thrown forward, which gives 
one a pompous appearance, nor drawn far back. 

The chest should he active, that is, expanded but 
not necessarily inflated with air. 

Do not pull the SHOULDERS hack, nor draw them for- 
ward. Do not draw in the chin nor lift the head, but 
look straight forward toward the audience. 

Be sure that there is neither stiffness nor limpness 
anywhere ; try to have a springy, animated condition 
of the whole body, both in this and in all similar ex- 
ercises. 

Avoid nervous twitchings of the face and hands, pick- 
ing with the fingers, twisting about on the ankle, in a 
word, all unnecessary movements of any part of the 
body. 

14 



THE SPEAKER'S POSITION. 15 

The important element in every position is the 
proper balance or poise, as it is called, of the body. 
If the notch in the collar-bone be kept exactly over the 
middle of the strong foot, the body is properly poised 
or balanced, and the arms and free foot can move 
freely in all directions without cramping or distorting 
any part. If, on the contrary, the shoulders incline 
too far either to the right or to the left, there is danger 
of losing one's balance, while if the hip be drawn in, 
there will be stiffness and constraint. 

Exercise II. 

Sitting. 

Sit erect, with active chest and animated carriage 

of the whole body. Keep the feet near together, one 

slightly in advance of the other. Let the hands, if 

unemployed, lie easily and naturally in the lap. Do 

not lean against the back of the chair, nor sit stiffly 

erect, but swa} r the body slightl}* forward. 

To the Teacher:— Illustrate by example both correct and incorrect 
attitudes. If pupils are familiar with the law of gravitation, 
call their attention to its application here. Do not take up an} - 
further work in' position until these lessons are thoroughly un- 
derstood; but do not wait for perfect precision before going 
on. Point out glaring faults as they occur, but do not strive 
for ideal perfection in attitude ; or, for that matter, in expres- 
sion of any sort, in the beginning; the result will be loss of 
spontaneity, which is more valuable than grace or mechanical 
perfection. If the habitual attitude approximate to the ideal, 
the less said about details the better. Leave much to nature, 
especially with very young pupils. 



LESSON III. 



Phrasing. 



Stand in the Speaker's Position. Hold the book 
unless too heavy, with one hand only — that on the 
strong side, — supporting the back with three fingers, 
and holding down the leaves by means of the thumb 
and little finger. Accustom yourself to use either 
hand. Keep the book at one side and well away from 
your eyes, so that those in front of you can see your 
face. 

i. Read to bring out ideas, not words. 

A group of words combined to express an idea is 
called a phrase, and the grouping of words as we read 
them, so as to convey the right meaning, is called 
phrasing. 

2. Try to think each idea yourself before speak- 
ing it. 

3. Pause after each word or group of words that 
expresses a separate idea, both to give your hearers 
time to understand, and to give yourself an opportu- 
nity to master the next idea. Do not confine yourself 
to pausing at the marks of punctuation ; they are in- 
tended for the eye, not the ear. A good reader will 

16 



PHRASING. 17 

often make a long pause where there is not even a 
comma, and pause longer at a comma in one place 
than at a period in another. 

EXAMPLES. 

(a) The books which help you most | are those which make you 
think the most. Ill The hardest way of learning I is by easy read- 
ing; || but a great book I that comes from a great thinker, I is a ship 
of thought, II deep freighted with truth I and with beauty. 
(b) There's no dew left on the daisies and clover, 
There's no rain left in heaven, 
I've said my " seven times" over and over, 
Seven times one are seven. 

In both the examples above, we make many pauses 
besides those indicated by the marks of punctuation ; 
indeed, sometimes a single word will be of sufficient 
importance to demand a pause. In the second exam- 
ple, which is light and joyous, the pauses are much 
shorter than in the other, but they must be percepti- 
ble, however slight they may be. 

Here is an example of bad phrasing, such as occurs 
very frequently : 

Listen my children I and you shall hear II 
Of the midnight I ride of I Paul Revere. 

or worse still : 

Of the mid I night ride I of Paul Revere. I 

The first phrase is nonsense. How can one " listen 
my children" or listen any one else's children for that 
matter? Evidently we must correct that by pausiug 



18 THIRD LESSON. 

after ' ' listen, ' ' as the thought is complete there — we 
are told to listen. Again, we should not pause after 
' ' hear, ' ' because the idea is incomplete ; we are not to 
listen in order that we may hear merely, but that we 
may hear of "the midnight ride of Paul Revere," or, 
if we wish to be very careful in our phrasing, " of the 
midnight ride | of Paul Revere,' 1 but certainly not "of 
the midnight " or " of the mid." 

Correctly phrased, these lint's would be read: 

Listen | iny children | and you shall hear 
Of the midnight ride | of Paul Revere, 

the pause after " ride " being comparatively slight. 

4. Accustom yourself to take in one or more 
phrases at a glance, bo that yon can raise your eyes 
from tlic book and speak tin- words directly to your 
audience, as if they were your <>wn. 

EXAMPLES I'M; PRACTICE. 

Point out rlif errors in the following examples. No- 
tice that most of these and similar mistakes arise from 
the bad habit of "sing-songing" poetry, instead of 
reading it for the thought. Avoid this fault. 

I'm not a chicken I have seen | 

Full many a chill September 1 1 
And though I was a youngster then j 

That gale I well remember. | 
The day before | my kite-string snapped J 

And I my kite ! pursuing | 
The wind whisked off my palm-leaf hat 

For me two storms were brewing ! — Holmes. 

Do not ' look for | wrong and evil— 
You will I find them | if you j do ; 



PHRASING. 19 

As you | measure | for your | neighbor | 
He will | measure | back to | you. 

Look for | goodness | look for | gladness, [ 
You will meet them | all the | while ; 

If you | bring a | smiling | visage 
To the | glass, you | meet a | smile. 

Indicate the pauses in the following examples : 

I come from haunts of coot and hern 

I make a sudden sally 
And sparkle out among the fern 

To bicker down a valley 

I slip I slide I gloom I glance 

Among my skimming swallows 
I make the netted sunbeam dance 

Against my sandy shallows 

And out again I curve and flow 

To join the brimming river 
For men may come and men may go 

But I go on forever. — Tennyson. 

Halt the dust- brown ranks stood fast 

Fire out blazed the rifle blast 

It shivered the window-pane and sash 

It rent the banner with seam and gash 

Quick as it fell from the broken staff 

Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf. — Whittier. 

He said to his friend ' ' If the British march 
By land or sea from the town to-night 

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry -arch 
Of the North-Church tower as a signal-light 

One if by land and two if by sea 

And I on the opposite shore will be 

Ready to ride and spread the alarm 

Through every Middlesex village and farm 

For the country-folk to be up and to arm. " — Longfellow. 



20 THIRD LESSON. 

Till he has fairly tried it, I suspect a reader does not know how 
much he would gain from committing to memory passages of 
real excellence ; precisely because he does not know, how much 
he overlooks in merely reading. Learn one true poem by heart, 
and see if you do not find it so. Beauty after beauty will reveal 
itself, in chosen phrase, or happy music, or noble suggestion, 
otherwise undreamed of. It is like looking at one of Nature's 
wonders through a microscope. Poems and noble extracts, 
whether of verse or prose, once so reduced into possession and 
rendered truly our own, may be to us a daily pleasure; better far 
than a whole library unused. They may come to use in our dull 
moments, to refresh us as with spring flowers; in our selfish 
musings, to win us by pure delight from the tyranny of foolish 
castle building, self-congratulations, and mean anxieties. They 
may be with us in the workshop, in the crowded streets, by the 
fireside; sometimes, perhaps, on pleasant hill-sides, or by sound- 
ing shores;— noble friends and companions — our own! never in- 
trusive, ever at hand, coming at our call ! — Vernon Lushington. 

To the Teacher : — Practise pupils daily on analysis for ideas; 
have them group phrases on the blackboard, and strive in 
every way to awaken the analytic powers, until they are able 
to phrase naturally and intelligently. Few teachers, to say 
nothing of pupils, estimate rightly the value of pause as an 
element in natural delivery. I have heard eminent readers 
who had not mastered that means of expression. Pause has 
a vastly broader field than the mere separation of ideas. 
Notice how frequently we hesitate in conversation, always 
thinking the thought before expressing it, and pausing for a 
greater or less time as the thought is complicated or simple. 
Again, in the expression of strong emotions, we take time to 
gather ourselves together for a mightier effort than usual ; 
and sometimes feeling, especially in the emotions that affect 
the larynx powerfully, seems to stand in the way of expres- 
sion, choking down the voice, and tying up the muscles, 
until the pent-up passion at last forces its way through every 
obstacle. Though our pupils, at this stage of their work, 
have no use for such extreme expressions, yet by accustoming 
them to pause frequently and long they not only acquire the 
power of reposeful expression, but lay the foundation for 
more difficult achievements, 



LESSON IV. 



Breathing- Exercises. 



Breathing-exercises are intended to increase the 
power and capacity of the lungs. 

Exekcise I. 

Standing in the Speaker's Position, place both 
hands at the front of the waist, just below the breast- 
bone, in such a manner that the middle fingers of one 
hand just touch the middle fingers of the other. (1) 
Keeping the mouth closed, breathe in through the 
nose until the lungs are comfortably filled with air. 
Send the breath down toward the waist as if to push 
away the hands. (2) Breathe out slowly until you feel 
a sense of perfect relaxation (not exhaustion) at the 
waist ; then inhale as before. 

Repeat this exercise several times. Let the hand 
follow the inward movement at the waist when you 
exhale, without exerting pressure. 

Exeecise II. 

Have the same action of the breath, with the hands 
at the sides of the waist as in Exercise I. Here the 
hands may gently assist the inward movement. 

21 



22 FOURTH LESSON. 

Exercise III. 
Place the hands at the small of the back and breathe 
as before. There should be a feeling of expansion 
and relaxation here, also, but it will not be so marked 
as in the other exercises. 

CAUTIONS. 

In all breathing-exercises there must be no con- 
sciousness of muscular effort. This is an important 
point. It is easy to push out and draw in the dia- 
phragm or the abdomen by more or less violent mus- 
cular action ; and, with a little practice, an abnormal 
power of expansion and contraction may be developed 
in the waist-region, with the result of producing a 
strained and " muscular " quality of the voice, and 
utterly destroying the ease, flexibility and unconscious 
activity which arc characteristic of all normal opera- 
tions of the healthy body. 

Expansion of the lungs everywhere must seem to 
be purely an act of the will, and not of the muscles. 
The air must seem to expand the lungs as a balloon is 
expanded by gas ; instead of which, vocalists often try 
to produce a vacuum by a violent pulling apart of the 
walls of the chest, and letting the air rush in as it will. 
I call attention to this misconception of the subject, 
because it is held by teachers who should know better, 
and is a fruitful source of vocal faults, to say nothing 
of physical derangements. 

See that the waist and not the abdomen is the 
active centre. 



BREA THING-EXER CISES. 2 3 

Beware of overcrowding the lungs ; it is not the 

amount, but the control of breatli that produces results. 

EXAMPLES OF DEEP BREATHING-. 

Now glory to the Lord of hosts, from whom all glories are ! 
And glory to our Sovereign Liege, King Henry of Navarre. 

Hurrah ! The foes are moving ! Hark to the mingled din 

Of fife, and steed, and trump, and drum, and roaring culverin. 

Now, by the lips of those ye love, fair gentlemen of France, 
Charge for the golden lilies now — upon them with the lance ! 

— Macaulay. 
Lord of the universe ! shield us and guide us, 

Trusting Thee always, through shadow and sun ! 
Thou hast united us, who shall divide us ? 
Keep us, O keep us the many in one ! 
Up with our banner bright, 
Sprinkled with starry light, 
Spread its fair emblems from mountain to shore, 
While through the sounding sky, 
Loud rings the Nation's cry — 
Union and Liberty ! One evermore ! — Holmes. 

The stars shall fade away, the sun himself 

Grow dim with age, and Nature sink in years ; 

But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth, 

Unhurt amidst the war of elements, 

The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds.— Addison. 

To the Teacher : — Breathing-exercises should be performed very 
gently and slowly, with only a medium supply of breath at 
first, and for but a short time each day. Delicate pupils are 
sometimes unequal to more than a few minutes of lung 
exercise. Never force them beyond what can be done with 
perfect comfort. I am tempted to insert the customary pro- 
test against the barbarous and silly custom of tight lacing, 
but so much has been written and spoken against this utterly 
indefensible method of self destruction, that ignorance on 
such a vital point is inexcusable. Sensible parents and 
teachers know their duty; the law of the survival of the 
fittest will take care of the rest. 



LESSOR V. 



Emphasis. 



John is short. James is tall. 

You could hardly make a mistake in the division of 
this sentence if you tried; but it may be read in many 
ways, each of which would convey a different meaning. 
For instance, if some one had asked which of the boys 
was short, you would say: "Joint is short." If he 
should contradict you, you would assert emphatically: 
"John is short." It* he had asked whether John was 
short or tall, your reply would be: "John is short." 
If he had asked how he might know the hoys apart, 
you might answer: "John is shorty James is tall." 
Each of these meanings is brought out by means of 
what is called emphasis, and the word that is made 
prominent is said to he emphatic. The unimportant 
words are said to he subordinate. 

In ordinary conversation we generally make the 
emphatic word prominent by giving it a higher pitch. 
When we are more earnest, we dwell a little longer 
upon the emphatic word than upon the other words in 
the phrase. If we wish to be very impressive, or to 

24 



EMPHASIS. 25 

give the emphatic word extraordinary weight, we pause 
before it, as if to gather strength for utterance. This 
keeps the hearer in suspense, and compels him to notice 
the emphatic word when it is finally spoken. 

Reading should seem like conversation, and we should 
try to use these three methods of emphasis, as far as 
possible, just as we do in speech. 

It is not only unnecessary but vulgar in conversation 
to make the emphatic word louder or rougher than the 
rest, unless we are expressing some emotion that calls 
for greater power, or are trying to make ourselves heard, 
as in the following example : 

Call naturally ' ' come here ! come here ! come 
HERE! " increasing the emphasis with each repetition 
of the words. You will notice that the pitch of the 
word ' ' here ' ' is higher at each increase of emphasis. 
This will serve to illustrate the principle that the 
greater the emphasis, the higher is the pitch of 
the emphatic word compared with the pitch of the 
other words in the phrase, and the longer is it 
dwelt upon. 

Practise the following exercises. Notice that in 
natural speech the voice rises step by step, until the 
emphatic word is reached, and that if any words fol- 
low the emphatic word they are spoken more rapidly 
and with a downward movement of the voice : 



26 FIFTH LESSON. 

8 
a^_ a e ah^_^oo. , J _ 4 5^/ \ 1() 

•n •,! walk .,, 

T will with T with 

1 you. I you. 

•n //v//V walk 

T r you 101 me, T will with ^, 

it * I you. Etc. 

Practise these with different degrees of emphasis and 
rates of movement. 

Emphasis is to a phrase what accent is to a word. 
F<-r instance, we say •• educa'tion," just as we say U I 
am writing. " 

Otlier examples : 

torong rith'- 

vr me, . = me- ,. 

ion sir a- tic. 

■ / , . ten' ,. 

1 2 4 _ = in timi , 

1 5 un- al. 

>/'/'// cred'.. 

walk . , = it 

T with ,. a vi 

1 vuii. dis ble. 

The emphatic word Is made lower than the rest for 
hideous, gloomy, or contemptible things: "He is a 
beast,'* " It is horrible " ; and also when we wish to be 
very solemn : , " 'As God's above,' said Alice, the nurse, 
*I speak the truth.'** Whole phrases and sentences 
move downward when we wish to he very impressive, 
especially at the end of paragraphs. So, also, when we 
feel depressed the voice tends downward, hut in a lifeless 
instead of an energetic way : u Oh, how tired I am ! " 

"When two equally emphatic words are contrasted, 



EMPHASIS. 27 

they usually have contrast or opposition of pitch, as 
"Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish." 

To the Teacher :— "Write exercises similar to the above upon the 
blackboard, and accustom the pupils to follow the pointer, 
giving at once whatever emphasis you may indicate. Speak 
a simple sentence or, better still, a combination of letters, 
numbers, or vowel-sounds, and have the pupils write it upon 
the blackboard, indicating your emphasis and pauses, if there 
be any. The emphatic word may be delivered in a much 
softer tone than the rest of the phrase; and, if pitch and 
prolongation are correctly given, the meaning will be per- 
fectly clear. This is an excellent exercise for overcoming 
any tendency to boisterousness, and for acquiring a refined 
and reposeful delivery. Note carefully that emphasis is 
merely making an idea prominent, and that the simplest 
means are always the best. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

I had from childhood a thickness of speech arising from a large 
palate, and when a boy I used to be laughed at for talking as if I 
had pudding in my mouth. When I went to Amherst I was for- 
tunate in passing into the hands of John Lovell, a teacher of elo- 
cution, and a better teacher for my purpose I cannot conceive. 
His system consisted in drill, or the thorough practice of inflex- 
ions by the voice, of gesture, posture, and articulation. Some- 
times I was a whole hour practising my voice on a word — like 
justice. I would have to take a posture, frequently at a mark 
chalked out on the floor. Then we would go through all the 
gestures. * * * It was drill, drill, drill, until the motions 
almost became a second nature. Now, I never know what move- 
ments I shall make. My gestures are natural, because this drill 
made them natural to me. The only method of acquiring effect- 
ive elocution is by practice, of not less than an hour a day, until 
the student has his voice and himself thoroughly subdued and 
trained to right expression. — Henry Ward Beecher. 

The mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel, and the former 
called the latter " Little prig. " Bun replied, " You are doubtless 
very big, but all sorts of things and weather must be taken in to- 



28 FIFTH LESSON. 

gether to make up a year, and a sphere ; and I think it no dis- 
grace to occupy my place. If I'm not so large as you, you are 
not so small as I, and not half so spry. I'll not deny you make 
a very pretty squirrel track ! Talents differ ; all is well and wisely 
put ; if I cannot carry forests on my back, neither can you crack 
a nut. " — Emerson. 

The keynote to the oratory of Wendell Phillips lay in this : that 
it was essentially conversational — the conversational raised to its 
highest power. Perhaps no orator ever spoke with so little 
apparent effort, or began so entirely on the plane of his average 
hearers. It was as it' he simply repeated, in a little louder tone, 
what lif had just been saying to some familiar friend at his 
elbow. The effecl was absolutely disarming. Those accustomed 
to spread-eagle eloquence felt, perhaps, a slight sense of disap- 
pointment. Gould this quiet, easy, effortless man be Wendell 
Phillips v But he held them by his very quietness; it did not 
seem to have occurred to him to doubt his power to hold them. 
The poise of his manly figure, the easy grace of his attitude, the 
thrilling modulation of his perfectly trained voice, the dignity of 
his gesture, the keen penetration of his eye, all aided to keep his 
hearers in hand. The colloquialism was never relaxed, but it 
was familiarity without loss <»r' keeping. What the Revolutionary 
orators would now seem t<> us, we cannot tell: but it is pretty 
certain that, of all our post-Revolutionary speakers, save Webster 
only. Wendell Phillips stood at the head; while he and Webster 
represented types of oratory so essentially different that any 
comparison between them i- like trying to compare an oak tree 
and a pine. — T. W. Higginson. 

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, 
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold, 
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea 
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. 

Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, 
That host with their banners at sunset were seen ; 
Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, 
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown. 



EMPHASIS. 29 



For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, 
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed ; 
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, 
And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still. 

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, 

And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal ; 

And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, 

Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord ! — Byron. 

Be careful to avoid a sing-song style in reading this. 

Pleasantly rose next morn the sun on the village of Grand-Pre. 
Pleasantly gleamed in the soft, sweet air the Basin of Minas, 
Where the ships, with their wavering shadows, were riding at 

anchor. 
Life had long been astir in the village, and clamorous labor 
Knocked with its hundred hands at the golden gates of the 

morning. 

Now from the country around, from the farms and the neighbor- 
ing hamlets, 
Come in their holiday dresses the blithe Acadian peasants. 
Many a glad good-morrow and jocund laugh from the young folk 
Made the bright air brighter, as up from the numerous meadows, 
Where no path could be seen but the track of wheels in the 

greensward, 
Group after group appeared, and joined, or passed on the high- 
way. 

Long ere noon in the village all sounds of labor were silenced. 
Thronged were the streets with people ; and noisy groups at the 

house- doors 
Sat in the cheerful sun, and rejoiced and gossiped together. 
Every house was an inn, where all were welcomed and feasted ; 
For with this simple people, who lived like brothers together, 
All things were held in common, and what one had was another's. 

—Longfellow. 



LESSON VI. 



Position.— Continued. 



Exercise III. 



Attitude of Respect. 

Stand with the heels touching, the feet 
being turned out al an angle of about 
sixty degrees. Bear the weight of the 
body upon the l»;ills of both feel equally. 
Have both legs straight, and knees firm. 
Have ii" inclination of the body t<» either 
side. Let tin 1 head 1><- perfectly erect, 
with eves looking straight forward. The 
arms fall at the sides as in the Speaker's 
Position. Do not lift or draw hack the 
head or shoulders, nor push forward the 
hips <o as to hollow the back. 

This is called the position of Respect, 
and is the formal attitude when about to 
bow. It is very like that of the soldier FlG - 2 - 
on dress parade, and says : " I am at your service. ' 



POSITION. 31 

EXEECISE IV. 

For Getting the Weight of the Body upon the Ball of the 
Foot. 

Standing as described on page 24, rise slowly upon 
the balls of the feet until the heels are at a considerable 
distance from the ground, then slowly return to the 
original position. Do not change the attitude of the 
body in the least during this exercise. Inhale slowly 
as you rise, and let the breath go as slowly while 
descending. 

If the body has to poise forward before it can rise, 
the weight is on the heels and the position is incorrect. 
Watch that the body does not sag back upon the 
heels when you return to position, and practise this 
exercise until carrying the weight of the body upon 
the ball of the foot becomes a habit ; see that you do 
so at all times while walking or standing. In rising 
there is often a tendency to push the hips out in front 
or draw the shoulders back ; avoid even the slightest 
tendency to do either. 

Do not cramp the body, but let everything be done 
with perfect ease. Try to feel as if you were buoyed 
up by the air, as you would be in the water. 

Eemember that the more slowly you practise all ex- 
ercises, the greater will be your control over the 
muscles. Nervous, jerky movements mean lack of con- 
trol, and result in habits of angular, awkward action. 
Grace comes from the perfect command of every mus- 
cle, even the smallest. 



LESSON VII. 



Inflection. 



We have seen that the words in a phrase, like the 
syllables in a word, differ in pitch; that is, that 
speech, like music, has melody. Not only is this the 
cas., but in every syllable the voice is constantly 
moving up or down the scale It is in this respect 
that speech differs most widely from song, where every 
note must be sustained on a level. This movement or 
bending of the voice on a word is called inflection. 

The inflections of the voice are very numerous, and 
we shall have occasion Later to study many of them; 
for the present, however, we will confine ourselves to 
the two simplest : the rising and the falling. 

The rising inflection | ' | indicates uncertainty, 
doubt, indifference, timidity or deference to the will of 
the person addressed. 

EXAMPLES. 

Is it John ? = uncertainty, doubt, timidity. 
"Will you come? = deference to the hearer. 
Certainly = indifference. 



INFLECTION. 33 

The falling inflection ( x ) is positive, and denotes 
completeness, certainty, and expresses the will of the 
speaker. 

EXAMPLES. 

It is John. 

Will you come ?= " you must come." 

Certainly. 

Rising inflections start from the lower or middle 
tones of the voice and sweep upward. 

Falling inflections strike a high pitch and sweep 
downward. 

Just as with the melody of emphasis, the extent of 
the inflection will depend upon the strength of feeling 
behind it. Sometimes, as in great surprise, the voice 
sweeps through the compass of an octave on a single 
word. In ordinary speech, the range is very narrow. 
Practise the exercises in Lesson V., with many degrees 
of both rising and falling inflection, until you can com- 
mand them at will. 

In ordinary questions and in phrases which imply 
indifference or timidity on the part of the speaker, the 
words following the emphatic word tend upward in- 
stead of downward, as in a positive statement. Here 
the wider range of inflection distinguishes the emphatic 
word from the rest of the phrase. It is as if the im- 
pulse of the emphatic word carried the remaining 
words upward in spite of themselves. E.g., Are you 
sure of it? 

When a question is asked with great earnestness it 



34 SEVENTH LESSON. 

often has the falling inflection, much as if it were a 
positive statement. Compare : Can you prove it ? I 
can prove it. 

Where wilt thou lead me ? speak ; I'll go no further. 

Inflection indicates the state of the speaker's 
mind; it has nothing to do with the grammatical 
construction of the sentence. 

Positive statements are sometimes put in the form 
of a question for greater effect. E. g., Isn't it so V 
Would you have believed it ? [s it not wonderful ? 
meaning, it is so; you would not have believed it ; it 
is wonderful. Questions like these arc not asked for 
information; they answer themselves. These "rhe- 
torical questions," as they arc called, may sometimes 
be given with a rising inflection; generally, however, 
they are spoken with a falling slide of the voice. 

Remember March, the Ides of March remember! 
Did not great Julius bleed for Justice* sake? 
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab, 
And nbt for justice? 

A positive statement that is closely connected with 
what follow- has a slight rise or bend of the voice at the 
very end, which shows that the thought is not yet com- 
pletely stated : "I will walk with you, but not now." 

The day is done, and the darkness 

Falls from the wings of Night, 
As a feather is wafted downward 

From an eagle in his flight. — Longfellow. 



INFLECTION. 35 

To the Teacher :— Drill the pupils separately and in unison, in 
various keys and through as wide a range of inflection as 
possible without straining their voices. The object of this 
practice is not to lay down cast-iron rules, to be followed 
mechanically, but to give the pupil command over his voice. 
The minute shades of inflection which give so many subtile 
and beautiful effects in conversation, and occasional depart- 
ures from the general type of melodic movement in phrases 
and sentences, especially in what are known as "final 
cadences, " should be allowed and encouraged when they are 
true to nature. Be careful, however, that they do not degen- 
erate into mannerisms or tunes. Teach the pupil to associate 
inflection with conditions of the mind, rather than with the 
ear. For instance, instead of saying " give this word a fall- 
ing inflection," say "speak more positively" or "more earn- 
estly." When the ear is deficient, this is the only method ; 
' but, if patiently followed, it will prove efficacious even in the 
most obdurate cases. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

Notice that no two of these examples are to be read 
exactly like ; each expresses some feeling that is not in 
the others. These delicate shades of meaning cannot be 
indicated by the marks of inflection. Endeavor to express 
the emotions that are indicated by the words in brackets. 

Brutus. I did send to you for gold, to pay my legions, 
"Which you denied me. [Contempt and anger.] 

Cassius. I denied you not. [Indignantly. ] 

Bru. You did. 

Cas. I did not ! He was but a fool 
That brought my answer back.— Shakespeare. 

Let your companions be select ; let them be such as you can 
love for their good qualities, and whose virtues you are desirous 
to emulate. [Persuasively.] 

I do not rise to waste the night in words ; 
Let that plebeian talk, 'tis not my trade ; 
But here I stand for right— let him show proofs— 



36 SEYEXTH LESSON. 

For Roman right, though none, it seems, dare stand 
To take their share with me. — Croly. 
[HaugJtty coiitemjit.] 

Have you heard the story the gossips tell 
Of John Burns, of Gettysburg ?—Harte. 
{simple question.] 

And do you now put on your best attire ? 
Ami do you dow cull out a holiday ? 
Ami do you now si pew flowers in his way, 
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood ? 

[Surprise and reproach. ] — Shakespeare. 

Did you over notice what life and power the Holy scriptures have 
when well read? Have you ever heard of the wonderful effect 
produced by Elizabeth Fry on the criminals of Newgate, by simply 
reading to them the parable of the Prodigal Son v Princes and peers 
of the realm, it is said, counted it a privilege to stand in the dismal 
corridors, among felons and murderers, merely to share with 
them the privilege of witnessing the marvelous pathos which 
genius, taste, and culture could infuse into that simple story. 
[Earnestly. \—Hart. 

Who can look down upon the grave, even of an enemy, and not 
feel a compunctious throb thai he should ever have warred with 
the poor handful of earth that lies mouldering before him? 
\tively and with sympathy.}— Addison 

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord. 
Is the immediate jewel of their souls; [Very earnestly.] 
AVho steals my purse steals trash ; 'tis something, nothing ; ently. ] 
Twas mine, 'tis his. and has been slave to thousands; [Indiffer- 
But he that filches from me my good name 
Robs me of that which not enriches him, 
And makes me poor indeed. [Seriously.] — Shakespeare. 



LESSON VIII. 



Position. — Continued. 



EXEECISE V. 

Swaying the Hip. 

Stand in the Speaker's Position, 
let us say upon the right foot. 
Place the hands upon the hips 
at the broadest part (not at the 
waist). Slowly push the hip across 
with the right hand until the 
weight of the body has been 
changed to the left side. Let 
everything else follow the move- 
ment of the hip. When this exer- 
cise is properly performed, the 
body will be in perfect poise upon 
the left foot. Return again in the 
same way to the right foot, and 
fig. 3. repeat man} r times. 

Avoid jerks and twists of the body everywhere. 




38 EIGHTH LESSON. 

Exercise VI. 

Flexibility. 

Standing as before, carry the hip outward at the 
strong side as far as possible, without losing the balance 
or stiffening the body. The shoulders will, of course, 
move in the opposite direction. Be careful not to bend 
the knee nor let the chest collapse. Return to the erect 
position and repeat. Then change the weight to the 
opposite foot and practise in the same way. (See 
Fig. 3.) 

inflection. — ( 'ontinued. 
Monotone. 

When the voice has little or no inflection, we are said 
to speak in monotone. The monotone is appropriate to 
passages of great solemnity. It is often heard when we 
call to someone at a distance. It is usually indicated as 
in the following example- : 

LOrd «>t" the universe, shield iis and guide us! 

Come back, come back, Horatius ! 
Back, Lartius! Back, Herminius! 
Back, ere the ruin fall ! 

In suspense and reflection the voice approaches the 
monotone. 

Hush ! Hark ! Did stealing steps go by ? 
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day. 



POSITION. 39 

To the Teacher:— Practise Exercises V. and VI. with the feet 
apart at various widths, and, as soon as the movement is 
understood, with the arms hanging at the sides. Later, have 
the pupil go through the exercises with the free foot behind 
and around the strong ankle, also swaying the arms above 
the head. Be careful to distinguish between Melody, dis- 
cussed in Lesson V. , and Inflection. Melody has to do with 
pitch-relation between different words or syllables ; Inflection 
notes the variation in pitch of the syllable itself. In the last 
example, for instance, while the Inflection of each word 
approaches the monotone, there is decided downward pro- 
gression in the Melody of the line. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE IN MONOTONE. 

Be careful not to chant. There is always in speech 
some degree of inflection, except when suggesting or 
imitating a musical sound. Notice the varied shades of 
expression required in these examples. Think of the 
emotion rather than of imitating a particular tone. 

The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
The solemn temples, the great globe itself — 
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, 
And, like this unsubstantial pageant, faded, 
Leave not a rack behind. — Shakespeare. 

A boom !— the lighthouse gun ! 

(How its echo rolls and rolls !) 
'Tis to warn the home-bound ships 

Off the shoals ! — Aldrich. 

And once behind a rick of barley. 
Thus looking out did Harry stand ; 
The moon was full and shining clearly, 
And crisp with frost the stubble land. 
He hears a noise — he's all awake — 
Again ! — on tiptoe down the hill 
He softly creeps. — Wordsworth. 



40 EIGHTH LESSON. 

Somewhat back from the village street 
Stands the old-fashioned country-seat; 
Across its antique portico 
Tall poplar trees their shadows throw ; 
And, from its station in the hall, 
An ancient timepiece says to all, 
" Forever — never! 
Never— forever ! "—Longfellow. 

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. 
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst 
formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to ever- 
lasting, thou art God. — David. 



LESSON IX. 



Xlie Vocal Apparatus 



Whenever we speak or sing, we make use of the 
lungs, the larynx, the mouth ami the nose. 

The LUNGS are contained in the cavity of the chest 
and furnish the breath, which is to speech what the 

steam is to an engine. When the supply of steam is 
low in the boiler, the engine comes to a standstill, and 
when the supply of breath is less than it should be, it 



THE VOQAL APPARATUS 41 

is impossible to speak well. It is important, therefore, 
to learn to keep the breath back while speaking, and 
not allow it to escape faster than is necessary ; also to 
increase the capacity of the lungs for containing air. 
It is for this reason that we practise breathing-exer- 
cises, which strengthen and develop the lungs and 
give control of the breath. It is quite as important, 
however, that we should be able to let the breath go 
at will as that we should be able to retain it, and we 
should pay just as much attention to the relaxing- 
movements which occur when we cease to hold the 
breath. This relaxation must be natural and gentle. 
The lungs should not collapse like a bursted bag, but 
the air must pass out quietly as it entered. Until we 
have gained control of the breath, all exercises should 
be practised very slowly. After a time, however, we 
may also practise taking and letting go of the breath 
suddenly, being very careful that movements are never 
violent. 

The breastbone has an important function in voice- 
production. It acts like the sounding-board of a piano 
or a violin, and serves to increase the resonance of the 
voice. If the chest be passive or sunken, the tone 
will be weak, no matter how much force we use ; on 
the contrary, if the chest be active, the tones of the 
voice will be strong and vigorous. 

The windpipe or trachea is the tube through which 
the air passes from the mouth to the lungs and back 
again. At its upper part it expands into a sort of box, 



A2 NINTH LESSON. 

the front of which may be felt in the throat under the 
chin. This part of the windpipe is called the larynx. 
It opens into the mouth just back of the root of the 
tongue. When we swallow, this opening is closed so 
as to prevent the food from getting into the windpipe, 
which is both unpleasant and dangerous ; when we 
speak, however, it is necessary to have this opening as 
free as possible. 

All vocal sounds are begun in the larynx, which has 
within it a pair of lips called the vocal BANDS or cords. 
The edges of these are set in vibration by the air, as a 
violin string is l»y the bow or fche reed of a clarinet by 
the breath of the player. Those of as who whistle 
adjust the lips and produce sound in much the same 
way that nature adjusts the vocal bands and produces 
speech; only nature, being a much more clever artist 
than the best whistler, manages her task in a far more 
delicate and perfect manner. She knows exactly how 
to make the sound we wish, and only asks us to let 
her alone and give her all the room possible in the 
mouth, in order to let the sound out after it is made. 
The throat, therefore, should be perfectly free and 
unconstrained, and we should particularly avoid mak- 
ing chewing or swallowing movements during speech, 
Avhich, as we have seen, tend to shut the voice in. 

Do not open the mouth so wide that the speech 
seems labored, nor keep it so tightly closed that the 
sounds seem to come through the teeth ; it should be 
opened gently and comfortably. Do not pull the jaw 



THE VOCAL APPARATUS. 43 

down, but let it relax naturally at the back, as if it 
dropped away from the upper jaw. 

Let the tongue lie loosely and easily in the mouth. 
Do not twist it about unnecessarily nor cramp it in 
trying to keep it quiet. If the tongue persists in ris- 
ing at the back so as to obstruct the sound, practise 
the vocal exercises with the tip pressed against the 
teeth and the back drawn down as in gaping, until the 
bad habit is overcome. Do not make this manner of 
practising habitual, however, or you will injure your 
voice. We shall have more to say of the tongue when 
we come to the subject of articulation. 

It is important that the passages in the nose be kept 

free and open for the passage of sound. The practice 

of humming for a few minutes daily is of value for 

gaining " head-resonance," as it is called ; that is, 

vibration of the resonance-chambers in the face. 

To the Teacher : — Illustrate some of the wrong ways of using the 
vocal apparatus ; for instance, speaking with collapsed chest, 
"nasal," "throaty" and "muscular" qualities, and impress 
upon the minds of pupils the necessity for a simple and unaf- 
fected manner of speaking with pure, resonant tone. Correct 
had habits whenever they appear. If you leach other subjects, 
do not wait for the elocution hour, but insist that the multipli- 
cation-table be given a meaning as well as the reading-lesson. 
The habit of refined conversation is of more importance than 
the acquirement of a few showy pieces for exhibition purposes. 
The foregoing lesson may be used with good results as a study 
in emphasis, as the meaning will thereby be brought home to 
ever}- pupil— an important point, as this lesson furnishes the key 
to many succeeding exercises. 



LESSON X. 



Vocal Exercises. 



"Start" of the Tone. 

Practise breathing-exercises for a few minutes as in 
Lesson IV., but breathing through the mouth as well 
as through the nose, Letting the jaw fall easily. We 
should always breathe through the nose except in 
speaking or singing, when we use the mouth also. 

EXEBCI8E I. 

(] i Open th*' mouth as if to say ah. Be very care- 
ful that there is no constraint at the throat, and that 
the back of the tongue does not rise in the mouth. 
2 slowly inhale through the mouth. 

(3) As soon as an i rdinary breath lias been taken, 
trying not to allow any air to escape from the lungs, 
pronounce in a moderately loud tone the vowel-sound 
all, as if asking a question. 

(4) The instant the sound ceases, let the breath go ; 
then, without closing the mouth, and still keeping the 
jaw relaxed, breathe in again and repeat the exercise. 

Practise in a series of ten repetitions. Use also the 
sounds a, e, 0, and 00. 

44 



VOCAL EXERCISES. 45 

Remember (a) to retain the breath while making 
the sound ; (b) to let the breath go the instant the 
sound ceases ; (c) to keep the open, relaxed position 
of the throat and mouth during each series. 

Exercise II. 

Practise in the same way, sustaining the tone on a 
level as in singing. 

Exeecise III. 

Practise with falling inflection. 

These exercises should also be practised with the 

hands in the various positions indicated in Lesson IY., 

in order to be certain of the proper action of the 

breathing-apparatus. 

To the Teacher : — At first the pupil should uot be allowed to pro- 
long the sound in any of these exercises beyond the time that 
would naturally be occupied in an ordinary interrogative slide. 
After practice, however, pupils should be drilled in sustained 
tones, with instrumental accompaniment if possible, until a fair 
amount of sustaining power is acquired. Watch carefully in all 
these exercises that the tone starts full and free and with pre- 
cisely the same quality and volume at the beginning as during 
the continuation. See that the pupil conquers the tendency to 
shut the throat just before begiuuing. Do not work for noise 
but for good quality of tone. The tone should not be pushed 
out, but should seem almost to be drawn in from without. See 
that all activity is confined to the breathing-apparatus ; it is the 
breath which governs the tone. After a time, practise with 
crescendo, diminuendo and swell- effects. In the very beginning I 
work only for the sense of perfect relaxation, paying no attention 
to the fact that the tone at first is sure to be unmusical, because 
badly placed. Afterward, but not until the habit of control by the 
breathing-apparatus exclusively is firmly fixed, I direct the pupil's 
attention to the quality of his voice, but making improvement so 
gradual that freedom is never sacrificed to anxiety for rapid prog- 
ress. 



LESSON XI. 



Articulation. 



If we completely relax fclie jaw, lips, and tongue, 
opening fclie mouth just wide enough to let out the 
sound, and fcheu vocalize m fclie most indifferent man- 
ner possible, we produce something between a grunt 
and fche sound of u in hurt. The sound is indefinite — 
inarticulate. Very Likely the earliest attempts at 
speech were Little better than a series of such vague 
sounds, more or Less modified by different positions of 
the jaw and tongue. A.s fche race progressed in lan- 
guage-making these sounds became more clearly de- 
fined and further separated from one another; more 
delicate variations were introduced, the sounds were 
combined in various ways, until, at last, man possessed 
articulate language. 

Articulation has been defined as "the correct and 
elegant delivery of the elementary sounds in sylla- 
bles and words." 

These are classified as vowels and consonants. 

The VOWELS are the foundation- sounds of the lan- 
guage. They are formed by various positions of the 
tongue and lips, which modify but do not obstruct the 

40 



ARTICULATION. 47 

flow of sound. Ah (a in father), a, e, o, do are exam- 
ples. 

The consonants are formed by positions of the 
tongue, teeth, or lips, which, for the time, interfere with 
the vowel-sound. For example, if you press the tip 
of the tongue against the upper teeth, as if to pro- 
nounce t or d, you will find it impossible to give a 
vowel-sound, ci, for instance. If, now, you allow the 
tongue to fall quickly back into its natural position 
just as you are about to say a, you will get the combi- 
nation til or da. It is this "recoil" of the tongue, as 
we call it, that makes the consonant distinct. 

We begin our studies in articulation with the vow- 
els. The tone as it comes from the larynx is molded 
into the various vowel-sounds by the different posi- 
tions of the tongue and lips. The jaw always remains 
relaxed, although in some vowels it is not so wide 
open as in others. 

We have already practised some of the vowel-sounds ; 
we shall now, however, take them up in regular order, 
beginning with e, as in eel. 

1. E is made with the forward part of the tongue 
near the roof of the mouth. The tongue is higher and 
the jaws are nearer together in forming this vowel than 
in any other. For this reason it is one of the most diffi- 
cult sounds to give properly, that is. with good tone, 
since the tendency in most of us is to cramp the throat 
whenever the tongue is active. Ah is one of the easi- 
est of vowel-sounds, and you will find it useful to 



48 TWELFTH LESSON. 

make first the sound a or o and in the same breath 
change to e, keeping the quality of voice the same and 
not allowing the back of the tongue to rise. In this 
vowel, as we have said, the jaw cannot open so widely 
as in the more open sounds. Let it take its natural 
position, without cramping it. 

What is said here with regard to the throat, back of 
tongue and jaw, refers to other vowels as well, and is 
to be understood without further repetition. 

2. If the middle of the tongue be very slightly de- 
pressed while pronouncing <\ the sound becomes that 
of shorl /, as in HI. Tliis sound is hard to sustain at 
first, as it tends to go back to long e. Practise until 
this tendency is overcome. 



LESSON XII. 

Flexibility. 



Everyone who would speak or recite with good 
effect must have not merely mental capacity, but com- 
mand over the body and the voice, the instruments 
through which he expre>>es himself. 

Awkwardness, a weak or disagreeable voice, or in- 
distinct articulation may spoil the effect of the most 
brilliant composition ; while a graceful and clear de- 
livery will often make a very commonplace subject 
interesting. 



FLEXIBILITY. 40 - 

Faults in delivery are caused either by wrong con- 
ditions of the joints and muscles that are used in ges- 
ture and speech, thereby preventing the proper action 
of the parts, or by lack of control over the muscles, 
so that we use the wrong set or do not use the right 
set properly. 

It is evident that if we wish to gain control of the 
body we must first get rid of wrong actions and con- 
ditions ; in other words, before we begin to strengthen 
the parts, we must render them flexible and pliable. 
It is of no use to practise opening the hand, for in- 
stance, so long as the muscles which shut the hand 
refuse to relax and allow the other set to act freely ; 
Ave shall only be straining the delicate tendons and 
rendering the action more awkward than before. 
Therefore we must first learn to relax ; afterward we 
shall study to get control of the parts. 

Exercise I. 
Hands and Fingers. 
Lift the forearm a little in front of the body, with 
the hand and fingers hanging down in a lifeless man- 
ner. Hold the arm in this position until 
the hand has become perfectly passsive 
and you can feel that its own weight is 
drawing it downward. This means that 
the muscles that hold the hand and fingers 
in position have completely relaxed. See Fig. 4. 
that the fingers hang as loosely as the fringe on a shawl. 




50 TWELFTH LESS OX. 

When yon have attained this state of perfect pliabil- 
ity, which may require many days or even weeks 
of persevering practice, shake the hand gently by 
moving the arm up and down, then sideways, and fi- 
nally in a circle. Be very careful that the hand and 
fingers remain passive and are simply shaken about 
by the arm. 

Practise this exercise in various positions, i.e., palm 
up, palm down, and with the hand held edgewise, until 
you have gained the ability to put the hand in a pas- 
sive state whenever and wherever you wish. 

Exercise II. 
Wrists. 
Practise the same movements with the arms stretched 





Incorrect. FlG. 5. 

out at the sides and in front, with one arm at a time 
at rirst, then with both together. Be careful to hold 
the arm straight, without relaxing at the elbow, and 
to move the arm from the shoulder. 



LESSON XIII. 



Minor Inflections. 



The rising and falling inflections used in ordinary 
discourse are termed major inflections. "We have 
also minor inflections, used in expressions of pity, 
weakness, or horror. Good examples of the minor in- 
flection are the cries "Help !" "Mercy!" moans, and 
similar expressions of physical suffering ; exclamations 
of a dejected character like " Oh, dear me !" "Alas T 
and expressions of pity such as, "poor fellow," " poor 
doggie," etc. 
' Minor inflections may be either rising or falling. 

Oh dear, must I go to school ? 
Oh dear, I must go to school ! 

In pathetic passages, readers are apt to overdo the 
minor inflections, so that the reading becomes little 
better than a whine. Avoid this ; remember that the 
use of the minor slide always indicates a degree of 
weakness in the speaker, and that it is appropriate 
only when we wish to convey that particular impres- 
sion. 

51 



52 THIRTEENTH LESSON. 

EXAMPLES. 

I'm a hopeless, unfortunate creature, 
I'm tortured with sorrow and pain, 

I'm twisted in figure and feature ; 
However, I never complain. — Stanley Wood. 

Oh. my lord, 
Must I then leave you ? must I needs forego 
So good, so noble, and so true a master ? 

— Shakespeare. 

< » my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! 
Would ( tod I bad died for thee, O Absalom, my son. my son! 

— II. Samuel. 

"Oh, dear," said Father Brown, one day, 

" I never Baw such weal her! 
The rain will spoil my meadow hay 
Ami all my crops together." 
Bis little daughter climbed his knee; 
"I guess the bud will shine," said she. 

I »( >^it i( >i i. — ( 'ontinued. 

Exercise VII. 
Transition of Poist . 

Standing with "in- foot well in advance of the other, 
the arms hanging loosely at the sides, change the weight 
forward and hack, always being careful to begin the 
movement with the hip, and to keep the shoulders as 
quiet as possible. I)<> not shuffle the feet. 

Practise this exercise with the feet at various angles, 
until you accustom yourself to a graceful movement of 
the body in any direction. Be sure to look in the 
new direction before making a transition, 



LESSON XIV. 



Flexibility. — Continued. 



Exercise III. 
For Muscles of the Neck and Jaw. 

(a) Holding the head erect, close the eyes as if about 
to go to sleep. Let the jaw fall lifelessly. Try to feel 
and look as stupid and lazy as possible. Now let the 
head drop forward as if the 
strength were gone from the 
muscles of the neck. After a 
moment, during which you 
should try to feel, if possible, 
still more lifeless about the 
head, neck, and shoulders, raise 
the head slowly, with the jaw 
dropped as before and carry it back as far as possible. 
Rest in this attitude for a moment, then repeat the 
exercise. 

The body should assist the movements of the head 
by bending forward a little for the first position and 
back for the second, but it must not relax. The exer- 
cise is for the head and neck and for such muscles as 

53 




54 



FOURTEENTH LESSON. 



connect these parts with the shoulders. We must 
learn to control each part of the body separately before 
we can hope to gain command of the whole. 

(b) Sway the head from side to side in the same 
manner as above described. 

(c) Circle the head ; that is, let it go from front to 
side, then back, then to the other side, and finally 
return to the front, — making the movement continu- 
ous but with the muscles as passive as possible. 

Exercise IV. 
For Flexibility of the Legs. 

(a) Stand with one foot on the edge of a platform or 

low bench, so that the free leg hangs over the edge. 

Be cueful to keep well poised. Let the free leg hang 

until you feel all the 
muscles about the hip 
relax and the limb be- 
comes a dead weight. 
Be sure that the knee 
and foot also are en- 
tirely passive. The 
body should be erect 
upon the strong foot 
in a position like that 
of Respect, so that the 
fig. ?. hip may be as far as 

possible over the free side in order to give plenty of 

room for the free letr. 




FLEXIBILITY. 55 

(b) Standing as before, lift the free leg in front, with 
the knee and foot still relaxed, and then allow it to fall 
back lifelessly. If the muscles of the free leg are per- 
fectly flexible, the leg will swing back and forth for a 
considerable time, like a pendulum. Let it come to 
rest of its own accord. 

If this exercise is too difficult at first, practise lift- 
ing and dropping the leg while standing on the floor. 
Of course, the leg cannot swing to and fro but must 
come to rest at once. Here the poise of the body 
should be as in the Speaker's Position. 

The Vowels. — Continued. 

3. A, as in die. This vowel has one peculiarity that 
deserves attention. If we speak a word like pay or 
may, we notice that the final sound is not that of a 
at all, but exactly that of long e, thus, pde, mde. You 
would find it difficult to pronounce either of these 
words and omit this vanishing sound or "glide," as it 
is sometimes called. The vanish or glide of the vowel 
d is one characteristic of a refined pronunciation. 
Before the vowel e, however, the vanish vanishes en- 
tirely, e.g., d-erial. Be careful not to overdo this pe- 
culiarity ; on the other hand, do not clip the vowel so 
short that the effect of the glide is lost. 

4. Act before r, as in care, fair, air ; also heard in 
where, ne'er, Aaron, icear, and similar words. 

5. E, short, as in ell, sell, tell ; also many, bury, said, 
leopard, guess. 



56 FOURTEENTH LESSON. 

6. A, short, as in an, can, fan ; also plaid, raillery, 
etc. 

Notice that we are studying the sounds not merely 
the letters, and that in English one letter has often 
many very different sounds, and one sound is often 
represented in many different ways. E, for instance, is 
exactly like i in. fatigue, ua in quay, ei in deceive, eo in 
people. J is heard in pretty, women, guinea, forfeit. A 
is heard in gauge, vedn,obey. For that reason, we find 
it most convenient to call the sounds by their numbers 
rather than by their alphabetical names, thus, 1st or 
k 2d sound, etc. 

To Tin-: Teacher : — These sounds follow eac!i other in the order 
laid down by Prof. A. Melville Bell. Frombim I have also taken 
many of the illustrations. While do one pupil is deficient in all 
or many of these Bounds, 1 have rarely found in my own experience 
a pupil who was perfect in every vowel. We have the testimony of 
no less a celebrity than Wendell Phillips to the practical value of 
careful drill in the elements of articulation. Occasional mistakes 
may be forgiven ; but habitual disregard of the fundamentals of 
good pronunciation is inexcusable. 1 have not attempted to ar- 
range the sounds in the order of their difficulty for the reason that 
no arrangement could be made that would answer for all or even a 
majority of our pupils. Special exercises should be assigned to 
individuals who are greatly deficient. Such may be found iu the 
works of Bell, Monroe, and others, and in various treatises on voice- 
culture, stammering, etc. 



LESSON XV. 



Emphasis.— Convinced. 



RULES FOR ANALYSIS. 

I. — The emphatic word is the word that completes 
the new idea or picture. 

EXAMPLES. 

I watch the mowers as they go. 

Henceforth let me not hear you speak of Mortimer. 

— Shakespeare. 

[Mortimer has already been spoken of in several 
preceding speeches (Henry IV., part 1.), otherwise the 
emphasis would fall on the name. See next rule.] 

The clustered spires of Frederick stand. 

— Whittier. 

II. — A word once emphasized should not receive 
emphasis when repeated, unless it is repeated for 
intensity, or used with a new meaning. 

EXAMPLES. 

That I have ta'en awaj r this old man's daughter, 
It is most true ; true, I have married her, [not "true I have 
married her," — the new idea is " married."] 

— Shakespeare. 



58 FIFTEENTH LESSON. 

Marullus. But what trade art thou ? Answer me directly. 

[straightforwardly.] 
2d Citizen. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe con- 
science ; which is. indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. 
Marullus. What trade, thou knave? [emphasis for intensity.] 

thou naughty knave, what trade? 
2d Citizen. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me; yet if you 
be out, sir, 1 can rm ml you. 

— Shakespeare. 

A hoT8i a EORSE, [intensity! my KINGDOM for a horse. 

— Shakespeare. 

I never would lay down my arm never, NEVER, NEVER. 

III.— No word that can be omitted and still leave 
the meaning of the phrase clear, is emphatic, unless 
the word is used for intensity. With this exception, 
that word is most emphatic, which, when left out, 
would most completely destroy the meaning of the 
phrase or sentence. 

EXAM I -1.1 :s. 
True, 1 have married her. 

Here it is evident that the omission of "married" 
would utterly obscure the meaning. We could say, 
" True, I have married," and the meaning would be 
less obscure. "I have married her," would not 
change the meaning in the least ; " true — married 
her," while not graceful nor good English, would still 
be understood in connection with the preceding por- 
tions of the speech. 



EMPHASIS. 59 

I shall have nothing at all. 

In this example the word that cannot be omitted is 
certainly ' ' nothing ; ' ' yet we naturally throw the 
emphasis upon "all," a word that evidently is not 
necessary to the phrase, for, " I shall have nothing," 
would express the meaning quite as clearly. The reason 
for this apparent violation of our rule is that the expres- 
sion u at all " is inserted especially for emphasis. Like 
"none whatever," it makes the idea more vivid. A 
good writer or speaker will use these expressions spar- 
ingly ; they are like other extreme means for emphasis, 
allowable only when simpler ones fail. 

We sometimes find two or more words combined to 
express what one cannot indicate fully. " Mender-of- 
bad-soles" is an example. " Nothing-at-all " might be 
considered as a similar combination. These groups are 
called "oratorical words," and are read as if they were 
compound words with the accent falling on the accented 
syllable of the last word, like " nevertheless," which is 
really a group of three words. 

If the war must go on, why put off longer the declaration of 
Independence f 

Yea, though I walk through the valley-of-the-shadow-of-death, 
I shall fear no evil. 

Notice that in these sentences you will give a wrong 
impression if you emphasize only one of the italicized 
words. Of course, the unimportant words, of, the, at, 
and the like, are passed over lightly, just as if they 
were unaccented syllables of a long word. 



LESSON XVI. 



For Independence of tine Legs. 



Exercise I. 

Standing in the Speaker's Position, carry the free 
foot forward ;is far as possible, that is, until the toe 
can barely touch the floor; then carry the foot hack 
in the same way. Be careful thai the body docs not 
twist around, nor move forward and back with the 
leg. Have no sense of effort anywhere. 

Exercise II. 

Carry the free fool oul at tic- side, then across the 
body to the oppi>>it<- side in the same manner as in 
Exercise I. 

Exercise III. 

Describe as great a part of a circle as possible with 
the free foot around the strong foot, the body remain- 
ing perfectly stationary. 

Remember that the proper position of the body 
must be maintained without cramping the muscles or 
stiffening the joints, which would defeat the object of 

60 



THE VOWELS. Gl 

all our exercises, which is to do everything as easily 
and gracefully as possible. Therefore, begin with 
slow movements and carry the foot to a moderate 
distance in each direction, increasing gradually both 
the rapidity and the extent of the action. 

The Vowels. — Continued. 

7. A obscure. This is the sound that is heard in 
unaccented syllables as, for instance, arrival, avenge, 
abominable. 

8. A intermediate. This sound is between the 
short, somewhat flat sound of a in an or at, and the 
so-called (i Italian " sound of a in ah, father. Ex- 
amples : ask, task, fast, not ask, task, fast. 

9. A in father, ma rt, ah, part ; also heard in haunt, 
hearty, guardian. 

Carefully distinguish between sounds 8 and 9. 
Practise all vocal exercises and inflections with each 
sound until it is always at command. 
Speech Gamut. 

a? i J' \ 

a a Jo 4~ 

a a, ,5 o,, 

a a, c 4 Ory 

a a d 7q 

'a a Question Answer c a '1 Question Answer c 9 

The voice should run up through the compass of at 
least an octave, with inflections as in speech. Let the 
upward movement be a question, and speak the down- 
ward series as if in answer to it. Breathe between the 
question and the answer. Practise later with similar 
groups in circumflexes. (Sae Lesson XXIL). Use all 
the vowels as well as groups of words. Enlarge the 
gamut as you gain in compass. 



LESSON XVII. 



Rules for Emphasis.— Continued. 



IV. — Emphasis falls on the accented syllable of 
the word, except where the new idea is contained in 
an unaccented syllable. 

I.\ \ M I I I . 

This should be unaccented. 

V.— The fewer emphases you can give and still 
leave the meaning clear, the better. 

Emphasis upon unimportant words tends to confuse 
the hearer. Lead directly up to the key-word of the 
phrase, and let whatever follows take its own course. 
Do not say, for instance, in the. example quoted be- 
low, *• I would neverlay down my arms," which would 
imply that you might do a great many other things 
equally as bad, possibly lay down your head; the 
thought is "never." 

nec< r 

lay 
would down 

I my 

arms. 

62 



RULES FOR EMPHASIS. 63 

EXAMPLES. 

Eeview Lessons III., YIL, XIII., XY. 

The old mayor | climbed the belfry tower || ) 
The ringers I ran by tico, | by three; III i r t 

Pull || if ye never pulled before II ) ' ' 

Good ringers, I pull your best, | quoth he. || R. II. 
Play uppe, I play uppe, I O Boston bells || R. II. Exception. 

Ply all your changes || all your sicells, || R. III. 

Play uppe " The Brides o/Endeeby." R. III. Note. 

— Jean Ingelow. 

Analyze also for inflection. Would the old mayor's 

appeal be major or minor, and wiry ? 

The kettle began it ! Don't tell me what Mrs. Peerybingle said. 
I know better. (1) Mrs. Peerybingle may leave it on record to the 
end of time that she couldn't say which of them began it ; but I say 
the kettle did. (2) I ought to know, I hope ! The kettle began 
it, full five minutes by the little waxy-faced Dutch clock in the 
corner, before the cricket uttered a chirp. (3) Why, I am not 
natural!}' positive. Every one knows that I wouldn't set my own 
opinion against the opinion of Mrs. Peerybingle, unless I were quite 
sure, on any account whatever. Nothing should induce me. Eut 
this is a question of fact. And the fact is (4) that the kettle began 
it at least five minutes before the cricket gave any sign of being-in- 
existence. (5) Contradict me, and I'll say ten.— Dickens. 

This is an example of colloquial speech, every-day 
conversation. It is animated, but not nearly so forci- 
ble as the preceding selection, which requires, here 
and there, very powerful emphasis. The style of 
delivery should be light and tripping, with much 
self-assertion. We are continually making contrasts 
between Mrs. Peerybingle and the writer or speaker, 
and between the kettle and the cricket. Bring out 
these contrasts with great earnestness. 



04 SEVENTEENTH LESSON. 

(1) Would you say " / know better' or " I know 
better" ? Why ? (See Kule V.) 

(2) " I say the kettle did." (See Rule II.) Why ? 

(3) Point out the most emphatic word in this sen- 
tence, and tell why. 

(4) " And the fact is" or " and the fact is" ? 

(5) Two words are i specially emphatic here; which 
are they, and which of the two is the more emphatic, 
that is, the more importanl ? 

Which i^ Hi»' most emphatic word in the entire 
selection, ;nnl why ? 

You cannot, m\ lords, you ctmnot (1) conquer America. What 
is your presenl situation there 1 2 We do nol know the worst, 
but we know that in three campaigns we have done nothing and 
suffered much. You ma) swell every expense, accumulate every 
assistance, and extend your traffic 1<> tin- shambles "f every German 
despot. Youj attempts will he forever vain and impotent, doubly 
so, indeed, from this mercenary aid on which you rely ; for it irri- 
tates to an incurable resentment the minds of your adversaries to 
overrun them with the mercenary sons <>f rapine ami plunder, 
devoting them and their possessions i" tin- rapacity of hireling 
cruelty. If 1 were an American, as 1 am an Englishman, while a 
foreign troop was landed in my country I would never lay down 
my arms — never, never, never ! — Lord Chatham. 

(1) This is the preferred emphasis. It brings out 
more strongly the feeling that conquest is impossible 
than repetition of the word with its ordinary accent 
could do. i See Rule IT.) 

(2) "Present" or "situation" ? why not "there" ? 
Make this a study in pause as well, both for the sep- 
aration of ideas and for emphasis. 



RULES FOR EMPHASIS. 65 



EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

O green was the corn as I rode on my way. 
And bright were the dews on the blossoms of May, 
And dark was the sycamore's shade to behold. 
And the oak's tender leaf was of emerald and gold. 

The thrush from his holly, the lnrk from his cloud, 
Their chorus of rapture sang jovial and loud : 
From the soft vernal sky to the soft grassy ground, 
There was beauty above me, beneath, and around.— Heber. 

Paul Revere was a rider bold — 

Well have his valorous deeds been told ; 

Sheridan's ride was a glorious one — 

Often has it been dwelt upon ; 

But why should men do all the deeds 

On which the love of a patriot feeds ? — Will Carleton. 

If when I meet my brother man 

Adrift on life's uncertain sea, 
To him I give whate'er I can, 

The honor's not to me. 

For God to me has freely given 

From out His bounteous store, 
So give I of the all I have, 

And only wish 'twere more. 

And as I leave, with tearful eyes, 
My brother who to me was sent, 

I feel that God has, in disguise, 
Another blessing to me lent. 

What is genius ? Is it worth anything ? Is splendid folly the 
measure of its inspiration ? Is wisdom its base or summit — that 
which it recedes from or tends towards ? And by what definition 
do you award the name to the creator of an epic and deny it to 
the creator of a country ? On what principle is it to be lavished 



66 SEVENTEENTH LESSON. 

on him who sculptures in perishing marble the image of possible 
excellence, and withheld from him who built up in himself a 
transcendent character, indestructible as the obligations of Duty, 
and beautiful as her rewards ?— E. P. Whipple. 

Whither, 'midst falling dew, 
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, 
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue 
Thy solitary way ? 

Vainly the fowler's eye 
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, 
As. darkly painted on the crimson sky, 

Thy figure Heats along. 

— Bryant, "To a Waterfowl." 

Soars thy presumption, then, so high, 
Because a wretched kern ye slew. 
Homage to name to Roderick Dim? 
He yields not, he to man nor Fate! 
Thou add'st but fury to my hate; 
.My clansman's blood demands revenge. 
Not yet prepared ? By heaven, I change 

My thought, ami hold thy valor lighl 

A- that of some vain carpet knight 
Who ill deserves my courteous care, 
And who-,.- besl boasi i> but to wear 
A braid of his fair lady's hair.— Scott. 



LESSON XVIII. 



Flexibility. — Continued. 



Exercise V. 
The Arms. 

Raise the arms straight above the head, with the 
palms up. Now relax them so that they fall of their 
own weight. If the arms are perfectly flexible and 
are not interfered with in any way, they will swing to 
and fro, pendulum-like, and come to rest gradually. 
Practise this until perfect flexibility is gained, but do 
not assist the movement by swinging the arms ; they 
must be perfectly passive. If the clothing or the 
hips interfere with the arms, practise with one arm at 
a time, leaning the body over at the side sufficiently 
to give free play to the arm. 

Exeecise YI. 
The Arms. 

Standing in the Position of Respect, but with the 
feet a few inches apart to give greater firmness, turn 
the body on the ankles as far as possible from one 



08 EIGHTEENTH LESSON. 

side to tlie otlier, keeping a perfectly upright posi- 
tion. This movement will throw the arms across the 
body and back. Practise slowly until you can keep 
the correct position of the body ; then increase the 
rapidity until the arms are flung about with consider- 
able violence. Keep the shoulders relaxed. 

The Vowels. I 

10. E or i before /• as in verge, fvrm, girl, clerk; 
also heard in earn, guerdon. 

It is very difficult t<> describe this sound. The best 
that can be said is that it is not so heavy as the fol- 
lowing sound (u in forge), yet i> nearer to it than to 
tlif 9th sound (ah). We generally hear uncultivated 
speakers pronounce clerk, for instance, clnrk, while 
many give it the old-fashioned, quaint pronunciation 
k, which prevails in England. E is about mid- 
way between these extremes. Do not say gyurl nor 
gurl, but girl. 

11. r in "i> (short), or u in urn (long quantity of the 
same soum . gej also heard in world, blood, dungeon. 

12. in. doU, not, often ; also in knowledge. Do not 
say auften for often, dawg for dog, Gaud for God. 



LESSON XIX. 



Breath ing- Exercises. —Continued. 



Review Lesson IV. 

Exercise IT. 

(1) Place tlie hands on the upper part of the chest 
in front ; (2) slowly inhale until the chest is expanded 
fully ; (3) exhale the breath slowly, pressing in and 
down upon the chest with the hands as if to squeeze 
out the air. Do this slowly and very gently at first. 
(4) Inhale as if trying to press out the hands by means 
of the breath. Keep the shoulders very quiet. 

Repeat the exercise several times. 

Exercise V. 
Place the hands at the sides under the armpits ; 
breathe in the same way as in Exercise IY. 

Exercise VI. 

Place one hand in front and the other at the back ; 
expand, etc., as before. 

When pupils have the bad habit of lifting the shoul- 
ders in breathing, they should practise 



70 NINETEEXTH LESSOX. 

Exercise VII. 

Seated in a chair, grasp the rounds at the sides in 
such a way that the arm is stretched fully and it is not 
possible for the shoulder- to rise. In this position, take 
slow, full breaths, increasing the rapidity until it is pos- 
sible to take a very short, quick breath without moving 
the shoulders. 

To the TEA.CHBR:— Breathing exercises are sometimes very ex- 
hausting to delicat3 pupils. Exercise the greatest caution 
with them, and rememb \t that speedy and remarkable devel- 
opment is too often gained at the expense of vitality. The 
slowest growth is most permanent. 

Tiie Vowels. — Continued. 

L3. -1 in all call i also heard in taught, broad, 
thought 

A curious blunder on the parr of many speakers Is to 
say "sawr" for saw, u mawr" for maw, while at the 
same time they are often careful to Bay k% maw " for 
more. Make a careful distinction between, words like 
carves and calves without overdoing the r Bound; also 
in orphan and often, coughing and coffin. 

14. <> before r in or, nor; also in sewer, mower, 
oar, door, four. This sound of 6 is not the Bound of a,} 

it is nearer to long 6. 

The following examples may he used, at the discre- 
tion of the teacher, as studies in emotional breathing. 
Notice that the centre of activity varies with each exam- 
ple, as does also the texture of the body. 



BREATHING EXERCISES. 71 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE IN BREATHING. 

Down with the tyrants of England ! we never have sworn them 

allegiance ! 
Death to these foreign soldiers, who seize on our homes and our 

harvests. — Longfellow. 

Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye lifted up, ye ever- 
lasting doors ; and the King of Glory shall come in. 

Who is this King of Glory ? The Lord strong and mighty, the 
Lord mighty in battle. — Bible. 

By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is a- weary of this great world. 

— Shakespeare. 

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho, ho, he, he, he, he, he! 

Alas ! Ah me ! 

Old Simon doth chuckle and crow, "Ho, ho, 
What, marry old Margery ? No, no, no ! " 

— Old Song. 

Ay, de mi ! Like echoes falling, 

Sweet, and sad, and low. 
Voices come at night, recalling 

Years and years ago. — Waller. 

It was the butcher's daughter, then, 

So slender and so fair, 
That sobbed as if her heart would break, 

And tore her yellow hair ; 
And thus she spoke in thrilling tone, 

Fast fell the tear-drops big : 
' ' Ah, woe is me ! Alas ! alas ! 

The pig ! the pig ! the pig ! " — Holmes. 



72 NINETEENTH LESSON. 

"Yo ho, my boys!" said Fezziwig, "no more work to-night. 
Christmas Eve, Dick! Christmas, Ebenezer! Let's have the 
shutters up before a man can say Jack Robinson. Clear away, 
my lads, and let's have lots of room here ' " — Dickens. 

' ' Will they do it ? " " Dare they do it ? " 

41 Who is speaking ? M " What's the news ? " 
' ' What of Adams ? " " What of Sherman '! " 

" O God, grant they won't refuse ! " 
" Make some way, there! " "Let me nearer! " 

'• I am stilling! " "Stifle, then: 
When a nation's life's at hazard 

We've no time to think of men ! " 

— " The Independence Bell." 

1 am the God Thor. I am the War God, 

I am the Thunderer! Eere in my Northland, 

.My fastness and fortress, reign I forever. 

Jove is my brother; mine eyes are the lightning; 
The wheels of my chariot roll in the thunder, 
The blows of my hammer ring in the earthquake ! 

— Longfellow. 

Thick-sprinkled bunting' flag of stars! 
Long yet your road, fateful Mag— long yet your road, and lined 

with bloody death; 
For the prize I see at issue at last is the world. 
All its ships and shores I see interwoven with your threads, 

greedy banner ; 
Dream'd again the flags of kings, highest borne, to flaunt un- 

rivall'd ? 
O hasten, flag of man ! — O with sure and steady step, passing 

highest flags of kings, 
Walk supreme to the heavens, mighty symbol— run up above 

them all. 
Flag of stars! thick- sprinkled bunting! — Walt Whit man. 



LESSON XX. 



The Language of the Body. 



PANTOMIMIC EXPRESSION 

The body, as well as the voice, is a means of ex- 
pression ; and its language, which we call pantomime, 
is even more effective than speech. " Actions speak 
louder than words," says the proverb. You cannot 
say " I love you," and persuade anybody that you 
mean it, if your face wears an ugly scowl or your fist 
threatens mischief. The body is the outward mani- 
festation of the soul within and faithfully indicates 
every emotion, however slight. Nor do these mani- 
festations entirely disappear with the emotion that 
causes them. Every disagreeable or evil passion 
is registered upon the organism, until the frequent 
scowl or sneer becomes a permanent disfigurement of 
the face, or the slouchy, careless carriage of the body 
becomes a habit and, finally, a bearing, which is a true 
index of the lazy or careless spirit within. On the 
other hand, a happy disposition or a truly brave spirit 
shows itself in the open countenance or manly bear- 
ing. 

The attitude or action of the body has a marked 



74 TWENTIETH LESSON. 

effect upon the voice. If you sing the syllable all with 
an open, relaxed face and easy position and then with 
a frown and the fists clinched, you will notice a de- 
cided difference in the qualit} r of the tone. Not only 
does the mind help to form the body, but pantomimic 
expression affects the mind or soul. If you remain 
for a little time in an attitude expressive of deep de- 
jection, you will feel, in a greater or less degree, a cor- 
responding mental condition ; while a buoyant, strong 
attitude will often act as a tonic to mind as well as 
to body. 

The speaker should have at Ids command a wide 
range of attitudes and actions and a thorough knowl- 
edge ol the meaning of what lie does, as well as of 
what he says. Every action of the bod\ has a defi- 
nite meaning, ami when we are m>( embarrassed we 
express ourselves naturally by means of these actions; 
but oncoming before an audience, or even when re- 
hearsing in private, we become self-conscious and con- 
strained. The practice of exercises in pantomimic ex- 
pression, however, enables us to feel that sense of re- 
pose and freedom that always comes with knowledge 
of our resources and perfect command of them. 

"We cannot take up in this little book all the actions 
and attitudes, but will endeavor to select those most 
useful for our present needs. 

We will consider the body, for convenience, in four 
divisions : The trunk or torso, as artists call it, the 
head, the legs, and the arms. 



THE LANGUAGE OF THE BODY. 75 

The toeso is the centre from which all gestures or 
actions proceed. It must maintain the dignity of the 
body, and does not condescend to great variety of ac- 
tion. 

The chest, which is its upper part, sympathizes with 
the condition of the mind to a great extent, however, 
expanding with strong conditions and noble emotions, 
and contracting or becoming passive in weak or ig- 
noble conditions. 

The shouldees rise more or less under the influence 
of emotion, according to the degree of its strength. 
In joy, for instance, the shoulders are elevated consid- 
erably, while in great fear or terror they rise to an ex- 
treme height and come forward as if to shield the head, 
which, at the same time, is drawn down between them. 
In despair or sorrow, the shoulders, like the chest, 
relax. In defiance or anger, they are drawn back, 
while the chest expands as if to resist a blow. The 
shrug of the shoulders, if made slowly, indicates resig- 
nation — " Still have I borne it with a patient shrug," 
says old Shylock. When made quickly it carries the 
opposite meaning, impatience or contempt. Avoid 
shrugging the shoulders, except when the expression 
absolutely requires it. Among refined people the 
shrug is considered vulgar and often impertinent. 

The hips pushed out in front express pomposity, 
vulgar pride, or self-assertion ; drawn back they indi- 
cate timidity, deference, humility. The proper and 
normal attitude of the hips is just midway between 
these extremes. 



LESSON XXI. 



The Torso. 



J \ AMI I I 8. 

( ']i< .J and Should* rs. 

I tell thee, tbou'rl defied! 

And dar'sl thou, then, to beard the lion in his den, 
The Douglas in his ball? — Seott. 

Thou, too, sail on, ship of state] 

Sail on, U Union, strong and gYi>n['.— Longfellow. 

Half choked with rage, King Robert fiercely said : 

" Open; 'tis I, the king! Art thou afraid? " 

The frightened sexton, muttering with a curse, 

" This is some drunken vagabond, or worse!" 

Turned the great key and flung the portal wide. — Longfellow. 

The second and fourth lines of this last selection are 
examples of what we call impersonation ; that is, speak- 
ing or acting not in our own buc in another's character. 
Here you impersonate King Robert and afterward the 
sexton. "Where, as in this example, description of an 
action or condition is followed by its representation, 

76 



THE TORSO. 77 

as in lines 1, 2, 3, and 4, we save our action for the 
portion where we impersonate. When the lines are 
descriptive only, however, we accompany the descrip- 
tion with the appropriate action, as in line 5, where it 
is very effective to imitate, or rather suggest, the turn- 
ing of the huge key and the opening of the heavy door, 
while we describe those actions. 

He stops — will he fall ? Lo ! for answer, a gleam like a meteor's 
track, 

And, hurled on the stones of the pavement, the red brand lies shat- 
tered and black. — Stansbury. 

The very deep did rot : O Christ! 

That ever this should be ! 
Tea, slimy things did crawl with legs 

Upon the slimy sea— Coleridge. 

How do you do, Cornelia ? I heard you were sick, and I stopped 
in to cheer you up a little. My friends often say: "It's such a com- 
fort to see you, Aunty Doleful. You have such a flow of conversa- 
tion, and are so lively." Besides, I said to myself, as I came up the 
stairs: " Perhaps it's the last time I'll ever see Cornelia Jane 
alive." — Dallas. 

Nephew. A merry Christmas, uncle I God save you I 
Scrooge. Bah ! humbug ! — Dickens. 



The Hips. 

I rise — I rise — with unaffected fear, 
(Louder ! speak louder ! who the deuce can hear?) 
1 rise — I said — with undisguised dismay; 
Such are my feelings as I rise, I say ! — Holmes. 



78 TWENTY-FIRST LESSON. 

Falstaff. I have pepper 'd two of them; two I am sure I have 
paid, two rogues iu buckram suits. Thou kuowest my old ward: 
here I lay, and thus [taking attitude of fencer] I bore my poiut. 

— Shakespeare. 

Falstaff Was it for me to kill the heir-apparent; should I turn 
upon the true prince V Why, thou knowesl I am as valiant as Her- 
cules. But beware instinct; the lion will not touch the true prince. 
Instinct is a great matter; 1 was a coward on instinct. I shall 
think the bettei of myself and thee during my life; I for a valiant 
lion, and thou for a true prince —Sltakespeare. 

We are very 'umble here, Mistei Copperfield. — Dickens 

Workout the proper attitudes for these examples 
by referring to the suggestions in Lesson XX. Of 
course, there are many actions of the head, feet, and 
arms that would be necessary to their full expression. 
These, however, we must leave for tin- future. 

Attitudes in many i asi - become habits, and are 
then called bearings. For instance, a pompous indi- 
vidual would carry the hips forward ; while a timid or 
very defer< atial person would draw the hips back. 
Aunty Doleful carries her body in quite a different 
manner from Marmion or Douglas, even when moved 
by no particular emotion, because the doleful condi- 
tion of mind lias become a habit and is reflected in 
the outward appearance. We have three sortsof pan- 
tomimic expression: 

Actions or gestures, which are momentary. 

Attitudes or positions, which last for a longer or 
shorter time, but disappear when the emotion 
chancres. 



INFLECTIONS. 79 

Bearings, which are permanent habits of carrying 
the body or the limbs, and indicate peculiarities of 
disposition or mind. 



LESSON XXII. 



Inflections . — Continued. 



Beside the simple rising and falling inflections we 
have various combinations of rising and falling which 
are called circumflex inflections. Circumflex inflec- 
tions are alwaj'S used when we wish to say something 
that the words themselves do not express. We often 
say, "oh, yes" or "oh, no" when it is clear that we 
mean just the opposite, and this meaning is conveyed 
to the listener by a circumflex inflection. Here follow 
a number of examples for practice. Try to put into 
each the meaning that is indicated. Suppose in re- 
ply to a question like " will you do it ?" the answer 
"of course" is given, it may have many meanings, as 
will be seen. 

EXAMPLES. 

"Of course," with simple falling inflection, meaning exactly what 
it says, "I will." 

"Of course," with surprise, giving " course" with much higher 
pitch and a slight circumflex turn, meaning "how could you suppose 
I would do anything else ?" 



SO TWENTY-SECOND LESSON 

"Of course, " with contempt, " why do ycu ask sucli a foolish 
question ?" 

"Of course," with a sigh, " I suppose I must " 

"Of course," with sarcasm (double circumflex), meaning " that is 
about the last thing I would do " 

The question may be asked in many ways also, e.g., with reproach, 
"will you" (of whom I thought better things); with contempt, 
"you are a likely person to undertake il." with joy, surprise, etc. 

"Ah !" Calling some one at a distance. 

"Ah!" Minor, " come help me." 

"Ah?" Surprise, with rising inflection, "is it really so?" For 
information. 

"Ah!" Surprise, with falling Inflection, "i>it possible!"' "well, 
you do astonish me!" 

"Ah !" Playfully, "nowl'vi caught }'Ou;" "I see through you." 

"Ali!" Playfully, but with rising inflection, " did you think you 
could catch me Y* 

'■ ( Hi !" Distress, pain. 

'•oh !" Meaning, "that relieves my mind:" "that satisfies me," 
" that niters the question." 

11 I >h!" " For shame !" 

"Yes." Simple assertion, falling inflection. 

' 5Tes." Indifferently, "1 don't care particularly about it, but if 
you wish it 1 will." 

" Yes." " 1 suppose I must." 

"Yes." Joyfully, "I am glad to;" "of course I will, with- 
pleasure." 

None dared withstand him to his face, 

But one sly maiden spoke aside: 

"The little witch is evil-eyed ! 

Her mother only killed a cow, 

Or witched a churn or dairy pan; 

But she, forsooth, must charm a man." — WJdttier. 

Oh, then, I see Queen Mah hath been with y on.— Shakespeare. 



THE VOWELS. 81 

Circumflex inflections are either rising or falling, 
that is, conclude with a rising or a falling inflection. 

The rising inflections start from a high pitch, move 
downward and conclude with an upward turn. 

The falling inflections start from below, move up- 
ward and conclude with a downward turn. 

EXAMPLES. 

,ah. Ah .ah? 

Kh J \ah! W 

Practise these sounds with slight separation at first 
and then connect them with precisely the same 
melody. 

We have also the double circumflex, used in sar- 
casm, irony, and the like. 

Hath a dog money ? Is it possible 

A cur can lend three thousand ducats 1— Shakespeare. 

The rising or falling circumflex inflections are gov- 
erned by^the same laws as the simple inflections ; that 
is, the rising slides inquire, express deference to the 
will of the listener, even if it be mock deference, indif- 
ference, indecision, doubt, or timidity ; the falling cir- 
cumflexes are positive, decided, complete. 

The Vowels. — Continued. 

15. in old, beau, throe. 

16. U in pull, full ; also heard in wolf, foot. 

17. 00 in pool; also in rude, rule, shoe, you, cruise. 



82 TWENTY-SECOND LESSON. 

From 12 on, we notice a gradual protrusion of the 
lips, until in 17 we reach the last of our vowel-sounds, 
where the lips are pursed together to a considerable 
extent. Try to get these sounds with as little lip-action 
as possible. 

To the Teacher:— I have indicated in this lesson an interesting 
and valuable exercise. Let the pupils practise on simple 
exclamations and calls like 1 ' oh!" "oh, dear!" "come here!" 
"John!" "ah!" etc. Have them also try to discover the 
elliptical meaning of impromptu exclamations by the teacher. 
Many excellenl examples may be found in Bell's "Principles 
of Elocution." 1 do uot, however, advise the use of marks to 
indicate the direction of the inflection, except occasionally by 
way of analogy, for the reason that they tend at first to con 
fuse the student, and afterward to cause him to rely over- 
much upon the external, mechanical form of the slide, rather 
than upoo the inner, mental conditio]] that should prompt it. 
In other words, his reading is apt to be more mechanical 
than if he discarded all mechanical aids and relied solely upon 
his art instinct. Again, it is impossible to indicate the more 
minute shades of inflection that belong to truly natural ex- 
pression; bo that, after all, any Dotation falls short of abso 
lute fidelity bo nature. Since it is almost impossible to indicate 
to tlir eye, even approximately, the nicer shades of meaning, 
and since, also, the average inexperienced pupil makes a very 
poor connection in hi- mind between a mark on the black - 
board and a sound in his ear, and therefore is quite as likely 
to be misled as helped by such marks, it is better to rely 
upon the ear and the intelligence altogether. The meaning 
of an ordinary inflection is patent to any intelligent child, 
and when once the meaning of an inflection is understood, it 
is usually conveyed with perfect accuracy. See that pupils 
do not cramp the throat. Use these inflections for vocal 
practice: nothing can be better for flexibility of the speaking- 
voice. Make all exercises in inflection mental. A word of 
warning should be given regarding a very common error in 
teaching vowel-production, and an error, too, which has the 
sanction of high authority, yet which, nevertheless, should 
be carefully avoided by the progressive teacher. I refer to 
the exaggerated mouthing of the vowels. Doubtless the 
majority of teachers who read this are familiar with dia 
grams in which ah, e, and oo seem intended as examples of 
facial distortion, rather than as exercises in intonation. Not 
only are these gapings, grinningsand poutings useless for the 
purposes for which they are given, but the faithful student 



THE VOWELS. 83 

who practises them persistently will find, perhaps too late, 
that they tend to render all facial expression absolutely ab- 
normal. My own experience as teacher and pupil long ago 
led me to discard this and similar exaggerations of normal 
actions, not only in articulation, but in expression every- 
where. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

The Cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man and 
never fails to see a bad one. If Mr. A is pronounced a religious 
man, he will reply : Yes— on Sundays. Mr. B has just joined 
the church: Certainly; the elections are coming on. Such a 
man is generous — of other men's money. This man is obliging — 
to lull suspicion and cheat you. That man is upright — because 
he is gresn. — Beecher. 

Brutus. What, shall one of us, 

That struck the foremost man of all this world 
But for supporting robbers, shall we now 
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes, 
And sell the mighty space of our large honors 
For so much trash as ruay be grasped thus ? 
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon, 
Than such a Roman. — Shakespeare. 

Down stept Lord Ronald from his tower : 
"O Lady Clare, you shame your worth! 

Why come you drest like a village maid, 
That are the flower of the earth ? " — Tennyson. 

Can honor set a leg ? No. Or an arm ? No. Or take away 
the grief of a wound ? No. Honor hath no skill in surgery, 
then ? No. What is honor ? A word. What is that word, 
honor ? Air. Who hath it ? He that died on Wednesday ? 
Doth he feel it ? No. Doth he hear it ? No. Is it insensible, 
then ? Yes, to the dead. But will it not live with the living ? 
No. Why ? Detraction will not suffer it. — Shakespeare. 

"Ain't goin' to see the celebration ? " 
Says Brother Nate. "No; botheration ! 
I've got sich a cold— a toothache — I — 
My gracious! — feel's though I should fly ! " 

— Trowbridge. 



84 TWENTY-SECOND LESSON. 

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels 
had been churches, and poor men's cottages princes' palaces. It 
is a good divine that follows his own instructions. I can easier 
teach twenty what were good to be done than to be one of the 
twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may devise 
laws for the blood ; but a hot temper leaps over a cold decree. 

— Shakespeare. 

Marullus. You, sir: what trade are you ? 

2d Citizen. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, 
as you would say, a cobbler. 

Mar. But what trade art thou ? Answer me directly. 

2d I it. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe con- 
science; which is, indeed, sir, a mender Of had soles 

Mm;. What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what 
trade ? 

2d Crr. Nay, I beseech you, sir, benol out with me; yet, if 
you be out. sir, 1 can mend you. 

Mai;. What mean'sl thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy 
fellow? 

2d ( it. Why. -ir. cobble you. 

ii. w rus Thou art a cobbler, art thou ? 

2dCit. Truly, Bir, all that 1 live by i- with the awl. 

1'i.w Bui wherefore art not in thy shop to-day? Why dost 
thou Lead these men about tin' streets ? 

2dCit. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into 
more work. hut. indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Caesar, 
and to rejoice in his triumph. — Shakespeare. 

Is there, for honest poverty, 
That hangs his head, and a' that ? 

The coward-slave, we pass him by, 
We dare be poor for a' that. 

Ye see yon birkie, cad a lord, 
Wha struts, and stares, and a' that; 

Tho' hundreds worship at his word, 
He's but a coof for a' that. — Burns. 



LESSON XXIII. 



The Legs. 



The legs are, as we know, the agents by which we 
advance or retreat from objects about us, and their 
attitudes indicate our relations with surrounding per- 
sons or things. 

T\ e know that usually the body should rest upon 
one foot ; sometimes, however, the weight is equally 
upon both feet. We will consider both conditions. 

Weight on One Foot. 

We go towards objects that attract us or that we 
wish to influence ; we draw back from things that 
displease or repel us. Hence, sympathy, attraction, 
animation, joy, and all expansive feelings, menace, 
attack, and pursuit, call for attitudes in which the 
weight is upon the advanced foot, that is, upon the 
foot that is supposed to be nearest the object of the 
action. 

Antipathy, repulsion, melancholy, indifference, re- 
flection, concentration, defence, defiance, etc., require 
the opposite attitude, where the weight is upon the 

85 



bU TWENTY-THIRD LESSON. 

retired foot, that farthest from the object exciting the 
emotion. 

When the body has a position suitable to the exer- 
cise of great effort, as, for instance, with the feet 
firmly braced to resist a blow, it is said to be in a 
strong position. When the body does not offer great 
resistance, as when the feet are near together, or 
when the weight is entirely on one foot with the free 
leg weak, as in the Speaker's Position, the attitude is 
said to be weak. 

Laws of All it in !<■. 

I.— Conscious strength assumes weak positions; 
conscious weakness assumes strong positions. 

When tin' feel are wide apart, the bod^ is said to 
have .-; strong or broad base, when the feet are near 
together, a \\ eak base. 

II. — In proportion to the degree of energy will be 
the strength of the base. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Law I.— A speaker coming before an audience in a 
timid frame of mind would naturally try to hide his 
condition; and, in so doing, would stand in a very 
strong attitude, as much as to say: "I am not 
afraid ;" while one accustomed to public appearance, 
and fully confident of his control over his body, would 
assume the most easy and graceful position at his 
command. A blustering bully would plant his legs 
wide apart, and, in other ways which we have marked 



THE LEGS. 87 

out elsewhere, indicate to au experienced observer 
that he was assuming a bravery that he really did not 
possess ; while his antagonist, if cool and collected, 
would stand in an attitude of comparative weakness, 
with weight resting lightly on one foot. 

Law II. — The attitude of respect is unemotional ; 
but if you were in that attitude, and suddenly saw 
something that interested you, you would advance, 
and, if very much excited, might fairly spring toward 
it. So your attitude when standing still would ex- 
j)ress strong excitement, just in proportion to its sim- 
ilarity to the same expression of the legs and feet 
when in motion. 

Weight on Both Feet. 

"With the feet as in walking, expresses suspense, un- 
certainty, as if you did not know whether to advance 
or retreat. "With the feet wide apart sideways, ex- 
presses vulgar ease, familiarity, pomposity, arrogance. 
With the feet near together, expresses timidity, re- 
spect, subordination, weakness. 

Sitting. 

Under like conditions, the attitudes of the feet when 
sitting are the same as in standing. For instance, in 
animated attention the feet would be well apart, one 
foot being under the chair, perhaps, as if you were 
about to spring from your seat, which is just what 
you would do if your excitement became very great. 



88 TWENTY-THIRD LESSON. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE IN ATTITUDE. 

It does not matter how little or how much any of us have read 
either of Homer or Shakespeare; everything round us, in sub- 
stance or in thought, has been moulded by them. All Greek 
gentlemen were educated under Homer; all Roman gentlemen 
by Greek literature; all Italian and French and English gentle 
men by Roman literature and by its principles. Of the scope of 
Shakespeare, I will say only that the intellectual measure of 
every man since born in the domains of creative thought may be 
assigned to him according to the degree in which he has been 
taught by Shakespeare. — Ruskin. 

So boldly he entered the Xetherby hail. 

'Mong bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all: 

Then spoke the bride's father, his hand <>n his sword 

(For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word), 

" O come ye in peace here, or come ye m war, 

Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar V— Scott. 

Ye call nie chief, and ye do well to call him chief who, for 
twelve long years, has met upon the arena every shape of man 
or beast that the broad Empire of Rome could furnish, and yet 
never has lowered his arm. And if there he one among you who 
can say that. ever, in public fight or private brawl, my actions 
did belie my tongue, Lei him step forth and say it. If there be 
three in all your throng dare face me on the bloody sand, let 
them step forth! "— KeUogg. 

It is an ancient mariner, 

And he stoppeth one of three: 
' ' By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, 

Now, wherefore stop'st thou me V " 

He holds him with his skinny hand : 

"There was a ship, " quoth he. 
" Hands off, unhand me, greybeard loon! " 

Eftsoons his hand drops he. — Coleridge. 



THE LEGS. 89 

Now glory to the Lord of hosts, from whom all glories are, 
And glory to our sovereign liege, King Henry of Navarre ! 

A thousand spurs are striking deep, a thousand spears at rest, 
A thousand knights are pressing close behind the snow-white 
crest. — Macaulay. 

He drew the covering closer on his lip. 

Crying "Unclean ! unclean ! " and in the folds 

Of the coarse sackcloth shrouding up his face, 

He fell upon the earth till they should pass. — Willis, 

" Ho ! why dost thou shiver and shake, Gaffer Gray ? 
And why does thy nose look so blue ? " — 
" Tis the weather that's cold, 
Tis I'm grown very old, 
And my doublet is not very new. Well-a-day ! " 

—Old Song. 

In there came old Alice, the nurse, 
Said, "Who was this that went from thee ? " 

" It was my cousin," said Lady Clare ; 
' ' To-morrow he weds with me. " 

" Oh, God be thanked ! " said Alice, the nurse, 
"That all comes round so just and fair : 

Lord Ronald is heir of all your lands, 
"And you are not the Lady Clare." 

"Are ye out of your mind, my nurse, my nurse ? " 
Said Lady Clare, "that ye speak so wild ? " 

" As God's above," said Alice, the nurse, 
" I speak the truth — you are my child." 



LESSON XXIV. 



Articulation.— Continued. 



The Vowels. — < bntinued. 

We have now gone through the list of simple vowel- 
sou mis ; all other rowels are combinations of some of 
these. / is '.» 1 blended, thus, ah e : ow in now is 9- 
17 ; oi in oil is 13-1; it is 1-17, except when it fol- 
lows r, when it lias the sound 17 alone, as in ride, 
true, ('aivless speakers often say "floot" when they 
mean flute, "dooty" for duty, ami so on. No one, 
however, says "poo" for pew, nor "foo" for few, 
though there is equally good reason for such pronun- 
ciation. One of the marks of a well-educated person 
is his careful enunciation of this much-abused vowel u. 

When a vowel occurs in an unaccented syllable, it 
is not pronounced with such care and exactness as 
when it receives the accent ; for instance, we say 
syl'-la-b'l, m>t syl'-la-bel. The vowels in the second 
and third syllables here are said to be obscure, because 
it is not always easy to determine which sound is 



ARTICULATION. 91 

given. If our example were spelt " syllibul > " it would 
make scarcely a perceptible difference in the sound of 
the word. These obscure sounds are generally indi- 
cated in dictionaries by a single dot under the vowel. 

The only rule for the pronunciation of obscure 
vowels is to make the sound as nearly like the full 
sound as is possible without seeming stilted. 

The articles, personal pronouns, conjunctions, and 
short prepositions like of, to, from, and for, are always 
obscure, except when they are emphatic. Thus, when 
w r e say, " give it to me," we give the e in me its obscure 
sound (2d vowel), like i in pin; but when we say 
" give it to me," we give it its long sound (1st vowel). 
Nor do we say to (too), but almost ta (11th vowel). 
Treat such words, as regards pronunciation, exactly 
like the unaccented syllables in words. To be over 
exact and pedantic would often alter the meaning of 
the sentence, as in the illustration above. 

The Consonants. 

The consonants are formed by the action of the 
tongue, palate, and lips. The following consonants 
are made by compressing the lips and then separating 
them by a quick recoil and relaxation, b, p. Do not 
give the consonants their name-sounds in practising, 
thus : be, pe. 

Combine these and all following consonants with 
each of the seventeen vowel-sounds. 



92 TWENTY-FOURTH LE8S0N. 

To the Teacher : — Rhythmical exercises like the following will be 
found useful in attaining flexibility and accuracy in the use of 
the agents of articulation : 

In common time: Bn bd bd, bd bd bd, bd bd bd, bit. Repeat 
three times, sustaining the last bd a full beat, making a succes- 
sion of three triplets and a quarter note; the last time sustain 
the hual bd as long as possible. 



Iu common time: Bd bd bd bd, bd bd bd ba. ha ba bd bd, bd, as 
if there were three groups of sixteenth notes, and a quarter 
note. Distinguish carefully between successions of ta and of 
db, pa and dp. Careless practice will resiill in something like 

(i/j a bd bn bd ba, etc. This caution applies to many other com- 
binations. 



LESSON XXV. 



The Head. 



The head has gestures ami attitudes. The gestures 
of the head are few but full of meaning. The com- 
mon ones are the nod, meaning yes ; the shake of the 
head, meaning no ; and a contemptuous fling of the 
head to one side, which latter, like a shrug of con- 
tempt, which it usually accompanies, is to be avoided, 
except when absolutely necessary to the expression. 

The attitudes or positions of the head are more 
numerous and important than are its gestures. Vie 
find nine fundamental positions of the head. 



THE HEAD, 



93 




I.— The Head Erect. (Fig. 8.) 

This is the attitude of simple attention without 
sympathy. We find it in the attitude of 
Kespect (Lesson VI.). As a bearing or 
habit, it indicates strong vitality, con- 
sciousness of power. Be careful that the 
position of the body, either in sitting or 
standing, corresponds to that of the 
head, so far as your knoAvleclge goes. 

IL— The Head Bowed, (Fig. 9.) 

This indicates one of two conditions : Either the 
mind is so occupied that the attention is drawn away 
from surrounding things ; or, we are submitting our- 
selves to some one or something more powerful than 
ourselves ; we say, for instance, " man must bow to 
the inevitable." 

This, then, is the expression of reflection, thought, 
mental concentration, or of respect and 
submission. As a bearing, the bowed 
head might indicate a thoughtful char- 
acter, or a very humble, abject person. 
What would be the difference in the 
bearing of the hips and chest ? 

The ordinary bow means that you 

fig. 9. place yourself at the service of the 

person you salute. You are, for the time, his " humble 

servant." The attitude of the body will vary with the 

condition you wish to represent. 




u 



TWENTY- FIFTH LESSON. 




III.— The Head Lifted. (Fig. 10.) 

The Lead is lifted in joy, animation, 
exultation, vehemence, expressions of 
pride, superiority, and the like, and, as 
a bearing, would indicate similar mental 
< ■ 1 1 .• 1 1 acteristics. 



IV.— The Head Pivoted. (Fig. 11.) 
The head pivoted or turned toward an 
object or person shows a feeling of at- 
traction : turned from, that is, in an op- 
posite direction, the pivot indicates dis- 
like, repulsion, aversion. This is not a 
hearing; people do not go about habit- 
ually with the head turned to one side. 




[Speaker's Position.'] 



EX VMl'I.KS. 

The train from out the castle drew, 

But Marmion stopped to bid adieu. 

"Though something I might 'plain," he said, 1 

l I , old respect to stranger guest ( j 

Sent hither by year king's behest, 

Part we in friendship from your land ) 

And'noble carl, receive my hand." II. [Bat with coldness.] 

—Scott. 
My liege, your anger can recall your trust, 
Annul my office, spoil me of my lands, 
Kitie my coffers; but my name, my deeds, 
Arc royal in a land beyond your sceptre.— 2Mw*r Lytlon. 

This selection would he begun in the attitude of 
conscious power (L), and gradually develop into 



THE HEAD. 95 

(III.) that of conscious superiority, at the words 
" royal in a land beyond your sceptre." Of course, 
a conventional bow at the words " my liege " would 
be. very appropriate. Also, the head might pivot (IV.) 
toward the imaginary " office," " lands," and " coffers;" 
but such movements would be very slight, and are not 
necessary. 

To be — or not to be — that is the question. II. 

— Shakespeare. 

Now glory to the Lord of Hosts, from whom all glories are ! III. 

— Macaulay. 

Nephew. A merry Christmas, uncle ! God save you ! III. 
Scrooge. Bah ! humbug ! — Dickens. IV. 

Shall I bend low and, in a bondman's key, 

With 'bated breath and whispering humbleness, say this : 

" Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last ; % 

You spurned me such a day ; another time 

You called me— dog ; and for these courtesies 

I'll lend you thus much monies?" — Shakespeare. 

Oh, where is the knight or the squire so bold, 

As to dive to the howling charybdis below? — Schiller. 

Here the head will pivot from side to side, as the 
king glances over the assembled courtiers, while his 
bearing may be either I. or III., more likely the lat- 
ter, as he is rather a haughty individual. This is an 
example of the combination of two attitudes. 

Remember that there are many degrees to all 
actions and attitudes, and that you must exercise suf- 
ficiently good taste to avoid overdoing on the one 
hand and tameness on the other. 



LESSON XXVI. 



Articulation.— Con tinned. 



With the lips closed we have one other sound, in, 
sometimes called a nasal consonant, because its sound 
escapes thrpugh the nostrils. It is in reality a hum- 
ming sound, and is one of the few consonants that 
may be sustained for an indefinite time. 

/•'ami rail- formed by pressing the lower lip against 
the teeth. 

//', in iri/n, why iii whine, are formed by rounding 
the lips somewhat, as in the formation of the vowel 
oo. Whis really hw; we say hwen, hwine, not iv -hen, 
w-hine. 

With the tongue in various positions we form the 
following consonants : 

7', </. by the recoil of the tip of the tongue from 
the upper teeth. 

L, n, by keeping the tip of the tongue in its position 
against the upper teeth, but more relaxed than in t 
and d. X is the nasal sound in this position. 

B is formed in two wars : With the tip of the 
tongue very much relaxed we get what is commonly 



VOCAL EXERCISES. 97 

called the trilled or rough r; with the tongue curving 
inward gently, but without any vibration of the tip, 
we have the smooth or glide r, in care, car, culture, etc. 
Be sure to give this smooth r its true value ; do not 
say call, edit, cultcha. 

With the tip of the tongue between the teeth we get 
th } in thin, myth; th, soft, in this, with, beneath. 

Vocal Exercises.— Continued. 

Exercise IY. 

For Speaking Without Waste of Breath. 

With face and throat perfectly relaxed, take a firm, 
solid breath and call out suddenl} r and rather forcibly 
" ha !" As you make the sound, expand the waist 
slightly. Practise this, holding the flame of a candle 
near the mouth. If more breath is used than is 
necessary, the flame will flicker as you make the 
sound ; but when absolute control is gained, it will 
remain perfectly steady. Of course, the flame will be 
disturbed when the breath escapes after the exercise ; 
do not mind that. 

Use other vowel-sounds in the same way. 

Make a succession of sounds with one breath, as 
many as you can, and in various rhythms. 



98 TWENTY-SIXTH LESSON. 

EXAMPLES FOR VOCAL PRACTICE. 

Airy, fairy Lilian, 

Flitting, fairy Lilian, 
When I ask her if she love me, 
Claps her tiny hands above me, 

Laughing all she can ; 
She'll not tell me if she love me, 

( !ruel little Lilian. — Tennyson. 

Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats, 
Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats, 
Grave old plodders, gay young friskers, 

Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, 
Pointing tails and pricking whiskers, 

Families by tens and dozens, 
Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, 
Followed the Piper fur their lives. — Browning. 

Now clear, pure, hard, bright, and one by one, like to hailstones, 

Short words fall from his lips fasl as the first of a shower, — 

Now in twofold column. Spondee, land), and Trochee, 

Unbroke, firm-set, advance, retreat, trampling along, — 

Now with a sprightlier springiness, hounding in triplicate syllables, 

Dance the elastic Dactylics in musical cadences on; 

Now, their voluminous coil intertangling like huge anacondas, 

Roll overwhelmingly onward the sesquipedalian words. — Stacy. 

light, gentlemen of England! fight, bold yeomen! 
Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head : 
Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; 
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves. 
A thousand hearts are great within my bosom. 
Advance our standards, set upon our foes ! 
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, 
Inspire ns with the spleen of fiery dragons ! 
Upon them ! Victory sits on our helms. — SJtakespeare. 



VOCAL EXERCISES. 99 

In the following examples study the pantomimic as 
well as the vocal expression, giving especial attention to 
the attitudes of the head. (See Lessons XX V. and 
XXVII.) 

Girl ! nimble with thy feet, not with thy hands, 
Curl'd minion, dancer, coiner of sweet words ! 
Fight ! let me hear thy hateful voice no more ! 

— Matthew Arnold. 

Then Rustum raised his head ; his dreadful eyes 
Glared, and he shook on high his menacing spear 
And shouted : ' ' Rustum ! " — Matthew Arnold. 

I did hear him groan : 
Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans 
Mark him, and write his speeches in their books, 
Alas! it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinius! " 
As a sick girl. — Shakespeare. 

So you beg for a story, my darlings, 

My brown-eyed Leopold, 
And you, Alice, with face like morning, 

And curling locks of gold. 
Then come, if you will, and listen — 

Stand close beside my knee — 
To a tale of the Southern city, 

Proud Charleston by the sea. 

— M. A. P. Stansbury. 

Hail to thee, blithe spirit! — bird thou never wert — 
That from heaven, or near it, pourest thy full heart 
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art. 

—Shelley, "The Skylark." 









LESSON XXVII. 



Attitudes of the Head.— Continued. 




V.- Tin Head Inclined (Fig. 12) 
Indicates ease, trustfulness, Familiarity, or indiffer- 
ence. When the head is inclined 
toward a person or objecl it indicates 
affectionate or trustful attention. 
When the head inclines in the oppo- 
site direction from the object at which 
tlir speaker is looking, it indicates 
distrust, or criticism. When the eye 
also is turned away, the expression 
is of great indifference, inattention. 

As a bearing, the head may sway from side to side, 
in which case it indicates self-esteem, indifference to 
others, egotism, or merely an easy-going nature, ac- 
cording to the degree of the movement. The head 
inclined habitually to one side is indicative of a senti- 
mental nature, apt to be indiscriminately trustful. 
Very great inclination denotes a degree of mental 
weakness. Usually this attitude is an affectation. 

100 



ATTITUDES OF THE HEAD. 



101 



VI.— The Head Advanced (Fig. 13) 

indicates eagerness, curiosity, and sometimes threat- 
ening. This also may be a bearing. 

VII.— The Head Drawn Bach (Fig. 14) 

indicates surprise, suspicion, harsh moods of the mind, 
like hatred, fear, anger or disgust. As a bearing it 
denotes characteristics of a like unpleasant nature. 





VIII.— The Head Hung (Fig. 15) 

indicates shame, despair, or bodily weakness. The 
hang of the head differs from the bow in that all the 
muscles of the neck relax and the head drops lifelessly 
forward, while in the bow the neck yields but a very 
little at the most. As a bearing this would indicate 
weakness as of a very old man, an invalid, or an im- 
becile. 

IX.— The Head Thrown Back (Fig. 16) 

indicates prostration, agony either of mind or of body. 
We seldom have use for so extreme an attitude as this, 



102 



TWENTY-SEVENTH LESSON. 



but quite ofteu make a similar movement to express 
disgust or weariness, throwing back the head as if 
seeking to rest it on an imaginary pillow or on the 
shoulder. 





EXAMPLES. 

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope; 
Do what you will, dishonor -hall be humor. 
<> Cassius, you are yoktid with a lamb, 
That carries anger a- the flint bears fire. V. 

— Shakespeare. 

Here is a beautiful example of the indifferent incli- 
nation and action of the head in the firsl two lines, 
changing to the affectionate bearing as the anger of 
Brutus gradually melts. 

Who is it leans from the belfry with face upturned to the sky, 
Clings to a column and measures the dizzy height with his eye? VI. 

— Siansbury. 

How like a fawning publican he looks. V., VII. 

— SJiakespeare. 

Here Shylock's expression is a mixture of suspicion 
and jealousy, and the attitude of the head should cor- 



ATTITUDES OF THE HEAD. 103 

respond. The head will not only incline away but bs 
drawn back from Antonio, whose approach he is watch, - 
ing. 

King Robert crossed both hands upon his breast 

And meekly answered him [VIII.] "Thou knowest best; 

My sins as scarlet are; let me go hence, 

And in some cloister's school of penitence, 

Across those stones that pave the way to heaven, 

Walk barefoot, till my guilty soul be shriven!" — Longfellow. 

Oh, I die, Horatio; 

The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit. IX. 

— Shakespeare. 

By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is a-weary of this great ' 
world. IX. — Shakespeare. 

In practising these attitudes, always try to feel the 
corresponding emotion. Take a sentence like " what 
shall I do," and give it with each attitude, expressing 
by your voice, as well, the different meanings that it 
would have. 

Thus, with I. the question would be simply for in- 
formation, or to express willingness to perform what 
might be required. 

"With II. it should express submission (willing or 
unwilling) or great courtesy ; or it might be reflective 
in character, or indicate that you are greatly per- 
plexed. 

With III. it might express joyous willingness, — 
" how can I best show my pleasure?" 

With IT. it would indicate a degree of uncertainty 
if you pivoted the head from side to side ; or a great 



104 TWENTY-EIGHTH LESSON. 

degree of attention if the head were quiet; or you 
might express contempt by turning the head away, — 
" how shall I get rid of this fellow ?" 

With V. indifference, or trustful affection might be 
shown in the voice. 

With VI. and VII. the meanings would be obvious. 

With VIII. it would express despair or shame. 

With IX. it would indicate either agony, or terrible 
mental suffering; or, if given with but partial relaxa- 
tion, weariness or disgust. 

To the Teacher:— Be careful thai the pupils <lo not mix the atti- 
tudes in practising, as. for instance, bowing and hanging j lifting 
and throwing back, pivoting and inclining. At the same time, 
do not forgel that many of these attitudes may be legitimately 
combined. Space will nut allow of indicating or exemplifying 
these here, but it will be found very useful to work out such 
combinations, with their appropriate definitions, as, for instance, 
inclining ami bowing toward the object denotes trustful submis- 
sion, while the opposite inclination would indicate distrustful 
submission. 



LESSON XXVIII. 



Climax. 



We have studied the relations of the words in a 
phrase. It remains now to show that the phrases in a 
sentence are related to one another, just as the words in 
a phrase are ; that sentences, again, com nine in groups, 
of which one will be the most important ; that, again 



CLIMAX. 105 

these groups or paragraphs bear similar relations to 
one another. So we shall find, in every piece that we 
study, one paragraph that is the most important, one 
sentence in that paragraph that is the most important, 
one phrase in that sentence and one word in that phrase 
that is the most important of all. When we arrive at 
this word we have reached the climax of that partic- 
ular piece. 

We speak of a word being emphatic, and of other 
words in the phrase as being subordinate to that 
word. Just as we have a series of emphatic words 
more or less subordinate to the principal emphatic 
word in a sentence, so we have subordinate climaxes 
in pieces of considerable length. 

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE. 



blocks you than 

you senseless 

you ' III things ! 

— Shakespeare. 

Here are three emphatic words in as many phrases. 
Each phrase starts a little higher than the preceding. 
Each emphatic word is further from the subordinate 
word that precedes it. " You worse than senseless 
things" is the climax, and, of course, " blocks" and 
" stones" are emphases subordinate to " worse," as 
are their respective phrases to the last phrase. 

The well-known oration of Mark Antony is a splen- 
did illustration of a series of climaxes, culminating at 



106 TWENTY-EIGHTH LESSON. 

the very last line. Often the principal climax will be 
followed by subordinate passages, but a truly dra- 
matic outburst leaves the audience at the highest pitch 
of emotion. After a subordinate climax, there should 
be a period of comparatively quiet expression, gradu- 
ally culminating in another strongly emphatic pas- 
sage. 

Just as a painter gets his effects of light by putting 
surrounding objects more or loss in shadow, so we in- 
tensify our climax by using moderation in the passa- 
ges that precede and follow it. In the above exam- 
ple, if all our force of emphasis were expended upon 
"yon blocks," there would be nothing left to give 
added strength to what follows; and if a passage of 
tliis kind were of any great length, the reader would 
be exhausted before reaching the end, and unable even 
to sustain what force h'- had already given, the result 
of which would be an anti-climax, which is usually 
either very painful to the listener or very ridiculous. 

" King Robert of Sicily," "Catiline's Defiance," 
"Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lectures," " The Vagabonds," 
" Bay Billy," and similar selections, are good exam- 
ples of a succession of climaxes. 

The means for attaining this effect are various, de- 
pending upon the kind of emotion portrayed. Some- 
times the climax is attained simply by high pitch, 
sometimes by force, and again by sinking the voice 
and reducing its volume to a whisper. "We will discuss 
some of these means in the following lessons. In the 



CLIMAX. 107 

meantime, analyze some of the selections mentioned 
above, bearing in mind that the rules for emphasis given 
in previous lessons apply exactly as well to phrases, sen- 
tences and paragraphs as to words. 

Pibroch of Donuil Dhu, Pibroch of Donuil, 
Wake thy wild voice anew, summon Clan Conuil. 
Come away, come away, hark to the summons ! 
Come in your war array, gentles and commons . 

Come from deep glen, and from mountain so rocky ; 
The war -pipe and pennon are at Inverlocky. 
Come every hill-plaid, and true heart that wears one, 
Come every steel blade, and strong hand that bears one. 

Come as the winds come, when forests are rended, 
Come as the waves come, when navies are stranded : 
Faster come, faster come, faster and faster, 
Chief, vassal, page and groom, tenant and master. 

Fast they come, fast they come ; see how they gather ! 
"Wide waves the eagle plume blended with heather ! 
Cast your plaids, draw your blades, forward each man set ! 
Pibroch of Donuil Dhu, knell for the onset. 

"Young men, ahoy there ! " 

" What is it ?" 

" The rapids are below you ! " 

"Ha! ha! we will laugh and quaff; all things delight us. 
What care we for the future ! No man ever saw it. Sufficient 
for the day is the evil thereof. We will enjoy life while we may ; 
will catch pleasure as it flies. This is enjoyment; time enough 
to steer out of danger when we are sailing swiftly with the 
current." 

" Young men, ahoy ! " 

" What is it ?" 

' ' Beware ! Beware ! The rapids are below you ! " 

Now you see the water foaming all around. See how fast you 



108 TWENTY-XIXTH LESSON. 

pass that point! Up with the helm! Now turn! Pull hard! 
quick ! quick ! quick ! pull for your lives 1 pull till the blood starts 
from the nostrils, and the veins stand like whip -cords upon thy 
brow ! Set the mast in the socket ! hoist the sail ! — ah ! ah ! it is 
too late ! Shrieking, cursing, howling, blaspheming, over 
they go. 

Thousands go over the rapids every year, through the power of 
habit, crying all the while, " When I find out that it is injuring 
me I will give it up! "—John B. Gough. 



LESSOH XXIX. 



The Eye. 

The eye is the leader in all expression. W we wish 
to direct attention toward anything about as, we must 
first look at ir ourselves; if we feel emotion of any sort, 
the first manifestation of it Is seen in the eve. To be 
exact, we should treat of the actions of the lids and 
brows separately from those of the eye proper; hut for 
convenience we will consider the eve as comprising the 
upper and lower lids, the eye proper, and the' eyebrows 
above. 

The eve in its normal condition, looking straight 
forward, indicates calmness, confidence, equality with 
the person toward whom we gaze. The eve- lifted, 
looking upward, indicate- calm and confident regard of 
something superior to ourselves; looking downward in- 
dicates regard of an inferior. We call these the direct 
actions of the eve. 

Starting from the normal size, the eye opens wider, 



THE EYE. 109 

through the following degrees : (1) animated attention ; 
(2) surprise, pain, fear; (3) frenzy. The eye contracts 
through (1) indifference; (2) slyness, craftiness, scru- 
tiny, antagonism, to (3) sleep, or death. With all, 
except the last, we may have the three regards of the 
eye ; that is, we may look toward a superior, an equal, 
or an inferior with hatred, indifference, animation, or 
whatever may be the emotion required. 

The position of the eyebrows would sometimes be 
parallel with the upper lid, as in surprise, when both 
lid and brow rise, or in opposition, as in horror. In 
extreme terror the eyebrows rise. In threatening anger, 
physical pain, the brows contract; they contract with 
less intensity in puzzled thought, application. The 
brows rise in surprise, patient endurance, suffering. 

The indirect eye, as it is called, that is, the eye not 
looking straight forward, up or down, but more or less 
sideways, like the indirect inflections of the voice, has a 
double meaning. With the eye indirect we look at an 
object with suspicion, fear, affection, indifference, rail- 
lery, or various other emotions, according to the attitude 
of the head. For instance, the indirect eye with the 
head inclined toward an object, indicates not merely 
attention, but attention to some one or some thing we 
are attracted toward; with the head in the opposite 
direction the indirect eye is suspicious, fearful, or, at 
least, critical. It will be seen that the attitudes of the 
head must be carefully studied before we can have cer- 
tainty in determining the meaning of a glance. The 
indirect eye may be normal, lifted, or lowered, as well as 
the direct eye. 



110 TWENTY-NINTH LESSON. 

The various attitudes of the head combine with and 
modify the meaning of the direct eve in many instances. 
Thus, with the head drawn hack we would have harsh 
regard, of superior, inferior or equal, as the case might 
be; with the he-ad lifted, adoration or contempt, accord- 
ing to the direction of the eye, etc. 
Bowing. 

\w bowing to an audience the head bends, then the 
torso inclines slightly ; the torso first returns to an erect 
position, then the head follow-. Be careful to observe 
this order. The attitude of respeel is, of course, the 
propei- one for the legs. Do not bend the knees. Glance 
about the room as you how. or else bow several times, 
i. e., to right, to left, and in front; the first method is 
much the horror. 

A lady's bow may have a suggestion of the 

courtesy, carrying the free foot back and then retiring 

the weight to the free foot, with a slight bend of the 

retired knee. 

To the Teacher: — The hints given above regarding the combina- 
tions of head and eye will suggesl totheearnesl teacher a 
broad field for investigation. How far the student may be 
allowed to work out these problems will depend upon his 
natural ability and mental advancement. The teacher '•-•in 
demand as much or as little of independent investigation as 
he deems tit. I have usually found, however, that pupils 
who are sufficiently advanced r i comprehend this work at all 
take delight in such problems, and derive much greater bene- 
fit from original investigation than from merely learning 
what is already laid down for them. The order of movement 
in attention is. first, eye. then head: but in declamation and 
dialogues, where the action is determined and studied before- 
hand, pupils are very apt to make a mechanical turn of the 
head in inverse order: first, head, then eye. To overcome 
this may require much patience ; but the habit must be con- 
quered before the pupil proceeds further in pantomime. 



THE EYE. Ill 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

King Henry. My blood has been too cold and temperate, 
Unapt to stir at these indignities, 
As you have found me ; for, accordingly, 
You tread upon my patience ; but be sure 
I will, from henceforth, rather be myself 
Mighty and to be feared, than my condition ; 
Which hath been smooth as oil, soft as young down, 
And therefore lost that title of respect 
Which the proud soul ne'er pays but to the proud. 

Worcester. Our House, my sovereign liege, little deserves 
The scourge of greatness to be used on it ; 
And that same greatness, too, which our own hands 
Have holp to make so portly. 

Northumberland. My good lord 

King. Worcester, get thee gone ; for do I see 
Danger and disobedience in thine eye ■ 
O sir, your presence is too bold and peremptory. 
And majesty might never yet endure 
The moody frontier of a servant brow. 
You have good leave to leave us : when we need 
Your use and counsel, we shall send for you. [Exit Worcester.] 
[To North.] You were about to speak. 

— Shakespeare, " Henry IV.," Part I. 

So stately his form, and so lovely her face, 
That never a hall such a galliard did grace ; 
While her mother did fret, and her father did fume, 
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume ; 
And the bride-maidens whispered, li 'Twere better by far 
To have matched our fair cousin with young Lochinvar." 

—Scott. 

Hear the loud alarum bells — brazen bells ! 
What a tale of terror now their turbulency tells ! 
In the startled ear of night 
How they scream out their affright ! — Poe. 



LESSON XXX. 



Rhythm. 



In our first studies in emphasis we noticed that 
the important word of the phrase was often dwelt 
upon, while the subordinate words were spoken more 
rapidly in comparison. For instance, " 1 stood on the 
bridge," if spoken naturally, would exhibit quite a 
variety of movement; the words "I stood" would 
about equal the word " bridge " in time value, while 
" on the" would be spoken quite rapidly, " the" being 
only an obscure sound with no greater value than if it 
were an unaccented syllable. 

It is easy to see that this variety of movement not 
only serves the purpose of showing the proper rela- 
tions of the various words with one another, but is 
more agreeable to the ear than a measured and mo- 
notonous rendering could possibly be. It is this har- 
monious variety of movement that constitutes rhythm. 
It is not alone necessary, remember, that there should 
be variety, but the variety must have a reason be- 
hind it. 

Rhythm in speech does not differ very widely from 
musical rhythm. It is more varied and changeable, 

112 



RHYTHM. 113 

but the elements are essentially the same. We have, 
for instance, triple and common movements, phrases 
beginning upon various beats of the measure, and 
pauses, which correspond to rests in music, and, like 
them, should be proportioned to the movement of the 
spoken words. Our combinations, however, are, as 
we have said, much more varied than in music, for we 
have frequent alternations of triple and common 
time, abrupt changes in the rate of movement, and 
much greater freedom in the use of pauses. How- 
ever, when we consider what we have learned with 
respect to the melody of speech in connection with 
the above-mentioned resemblances in rhythm, we find 
that speech and song are much nearer together than 
are commonly supposed. 

We can easily illustrate both the resemblances and 
differences of the two by a few characteristic exam- 
ples : The words "Yankee Doodle" are pronounced 
just about as they are sung, so far as the rhythm is 
concerned, though as much cannot be said for the 
remaining words of the song, which are subordi- 
nated to the melody. By using dotted notes, however, 
the melody, simple as it is, may be brought pretty 
near to the natural rhythm of the lines. " Come 
to my house " is, virtually, three-four time, thus 

§ J • # J \ J * Come to my house is £ 

rhythm J J • # I • # or ' ^ Yer - r em ~ 

phatic, J J- #M J J * II Come to my house 



1U THIRTIETH LESSON. 

| J | J.- -P. J * ||6Wtomyliouse| J m f J I J 
This evening is | J | J J Come to my house 
this evening, if spoken naturally, would correspond to 
| J- J" J | | J J | J_ J | or better, per- 
haps, 00 J | J J ^ Here Ave have a mixture of 

triple and quadruple or common time, which is not 
rare in music, but is much more common in speech. 

The relations of words, phrases, and sentences are 
shown quite as clearly by their rhythmical propor- 
tions as by variations in pitch. 

It is easy to see thai important phrases, sentences, 
and paragraphs will, other things being equal, have 
slower movement and broader rhythm than less nec- 
essary passages. Often, however, where the expres- 
sion is of an impetuous nature, the climax is attained 
by rush and stress, rather than by breadth. Compare 
the following from " Henry IV.," Part I. : 

King. Sirrah, from henceforth 

Let me not hear you speak of Mortimer : 
Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, 
Or you shall hear iu sueh a kind from me 
As will displease you. 

Send us your prisoners or you'll hear of it. [Slow and 
[Exit.'] impressive.'] 

Hotspur. An if the Devil come and roar for them, 

I Tvill not send them : I "will after straight, 
And tell him so ; for I will ease my heart, 
Although it be with hazard of my head. — Shakespeare. 



RHYTHM. 115 

Contrast the commanding manner of the King with 
the impetuosity of the fiery Hotspur. 

Play uppe, play uppe, O Boston bells ! 

Ply all your changes, all your swells, 

Play uppe "The Brides of Enderby." — Jean Ingelow. 

Here, again, the impetuosity and excitement cause 
more rapid movement at the climax. " Sheridan's 
Ride " and Coleridge's " Hymn to Mont Blanc " may 
be instanced as examples at opposite extremes of rhyth- 
mical expression. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, 
The line, too, labors, and the words move slow ; 
Not so, when swift Camilla scours the plain, 
Flies o'er the unbending corn and skims along the main. 

— Pope. 

I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he ; 

I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three. 

"Good speed! " cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew; 

"Speed! " echoed the wall to us galloping through. 

Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest, 

And into the midnight we galloped abreast. 

Not a word to each other ; we kept the great pace 
Neck by neck, stride for stride, never changing our place ; 
I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight, 
Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right, 
Rebuckled the cheek- strap, chained slacker the bit: — 
Nor galloped less steadily Roland, a whit. 

— Robert Browning. 

Oh, you and I have heard our fathers say 
There was a Brutus once, that would have brooked 
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome, 
As easily as a king. — Shakespeare. 



116 THIRTIETH LESSON. 

When I consider how my light is spent 

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, 

And that one talent, which is death to hide, 

Lodged with me, useless, though my soul were bent 

To serve therewith my Maker, and present 

My true account, lest he, returning, chide. 

"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied ? " 

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent 

Thai murmur, soon replies: " God doth not need 

Either man's work, or his own gifts. Who best 

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state 

!- kingly; thousands al his bidding speed, 

And posl o'er land and ocean without rest ; 

They also Berve who only stand and wait." — Milton 

Bird of ili<' wilderness, 

Blithesome and cumberless, 
Sweel he thy matin o'er moorland and lea! 

Emblem of happiness, 

Blest is thy dwelling-place; 
( >h. bo abide in the deseii with thee! 

Willi is thy lay. and loud, 

Far in the downy cloud- 
Love gives it energy; love gave it birth. 

Where, on thy dewy wing. 

Where art thou journeying 2 

lay is in heaven; thy love is on earth. 

• >'er fell and fountain sheen, 

( >'er moor and mountain green, 
O'er the red streamer that heralds the day; ' 

< >ver th<- cloudlet dim, 

Over the rainbow's rim, 
Musical cherub, soar, singing, away! 

Then when the gloaming comes. 

Low in the heather blooms, 
Sweet will thy welcome and bed of love be ! 

Emblem of happiness, 

Blest is thy dwelling-place ; 
Oh, to abide in the desert with thee ! — James Hogg, 



ACTIONS OF THE HAND, 117 

So live, that when thy summons comes to join 

The innumerable caravan, that moves 

To the pale realms of shade, where each shall take 

His chamber in the silent halls of death, 

Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, 

Scourged to his dungeon ; but, sustained and soothed 

By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave 

Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 

About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.— Bryant. 



LESSOH XXXI. 



Actions of trie Hand. 



The actions of the arm are what are usually known as 
gestures. Although, as Ave have seen, gestures may be 
made elsewhere, the arm has almost a monopoly of 
them. The arm is divided into upper arm, forearm, 
and hand. AVe begin with the hand. 

I. — Simple Indication. 

Point with the forefinger of 
some object ; be sure that the 
movement is from the wrist — 
that is, that the hand alone and 
not the forearm moves. Have 







118 THIRTY-FIRST LESSON. 

the arm near the body in an easy and natural atti- 
tude. The other fingers of the hand should not 
shut tightly, but be allowed to fall easily into a 
curved position. The forefinger here is active, the 
other fingers are passive. The thumb should not 
fall lifelessly inward, but should have a degree of 
activity, being expanded outward and upward in ])ro- 
portion to the activity of the forefinger. 

The thumb is always more or less active in all ani- 
mated, healthy conditions of mind and body. A 
relaxed thumb indicates either lack of vitality, indif- 
ference or passivity of mind, or weakness of intellect. 
Of course, in rest and sleep, the thumb, like the other 
parts of tli«' body, is passive, and in portraying sleep, 
fatigue, or death, the thumb should be relaxed. 

Point upward, downward, forward, outward, at the 
side, and inward across the body, with the arm in 
various attitudes. Use expressions like "Look at this 
table!" In carrying the hand outward at the side be 
careful that the outward movement is edgewise, or, as 
we say, that the edge of the hand leads. 

A graceful gesture is always made in the easiest 
manner. The edge of the hand, like the bow of a 
boat, passes through the air with the least resistance ; 
the palm, on the contrary, seems to push away the air 
by sheer force. It is plain that the edgewise movement 
will appear more graceful and easy to the eye of the 
beholder, while the palm leading gives an impression 
of greater strength because seeming to overcome 



ACTIONS OF THE HAND. 119 

greater resistance, or, at least, being capable of over- 
coming it if it were present. 

The back of the hand is the weakest as the palm is 
the strongest side of the hand, and all gestures in 
which the back of the hand leads seem weak and 
ineffective. Avoid, therefore, leading with the back 
of the hand, unless you intend to give an impression 
of weakness. 

II.— Beckoning. 

Beckon with the hand, that is, indicate yourself. 
" I myself ;" " come here !" 

III. — Admiration. 

Lift the hand, palm outward, with gentle activity of 
the fingers, much as if you would caress something 
before you, or, more stronghv, as if to exhibit some- 
thing on your palm. This expresses admiration, pleas- 
ure in something before you in reality or in imagina- 
tion ; with very gentle action it shows a wish to caress 
the object. " It was magnificent !" " How beautiful 
she is ! " " How soft and warm ! " 

IY. — Bepulsion. 

Kaise the hand, palm outward, with all the fingers 
active and spread apart, as if to ward off something 
from the body. 

This is the attitude of sudden surprise or fear, or 
whenever there is a feeling of repulsion or desire to 



120 THIRTY-FIRST LESSON. 

ward off something. kk Oh! " u ugh," 4C disgusting," 
"keep off." 

Combine actions and attitudes of the head with these 
gestures. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

Now, in building of chaises, I tell you what, 

There is always somewhere a weakest spot ; 

And that's the reason, beyond a doubt, 

A chaise breaks down, but doesn't wear out. — Holmes. 

Flower in the crannied wall, 

I pluck you "in of the crannies;— 
Hold you here, rool and all, in my hand, 
Little flower; but if I could understand 
What you are, root and all, and all in all, 

I should knowwhal God and ma.ii is.— Tennyson. 

Beneath a rose, as morning i>r<>k<\ 
An angel from his sleep awoke. 

Pleased with the flower above his head, 

S.. fair and beautiful, he -aid: 

"Thy fragrance and thy cooling shade 

Have doubly sweet my slumbers made. 

■ Fairest of flowers on earth that grow, 
Ask what you will, and 111 bestow." 

" Grant, then,'' it cried. "I'll ask no more, 
Some charm no flower has known before! " 

The angel first seemed at a loss, 
Then clothed the bush in simple moss. 

And lo ! the moss rose stood confessed, 
A lovelier flower than all the rest. 

— •• The Moss Hose." 



LESSOR XXXII 



Articulation.. — Continued. 



The middle of the tongue rises to form the conso- 
nant y. 

K and g are formed by the shutting together and 
recoil of the back of the tongue and the soft-palate. 
Ng is the nasal sound in this position. 

S and sh are hissing sounds made through the nearly 
closed teeth. 

Z and zh are buzzing sounds in much the same posi- 
tion. (Zh represents the sound of z in azure and of g 
in rouge.) 

Tsh is the best representation of the sound of eh in 
chin, church, much. 

Dzh is the sound of j and soft g in Jane, age. 

Kw is the sound of <j in queer. 

Ks is the sound of x in vex, iext. 

Many consonants stand for different sounds. It will 
be found that the list we have given covers the entire 
held, the various letters and combinations omitted being 
simply duplicates of these. Thus : ch hard in choir is 
the sound of k; e is either s or & according as it is 
hard or soft, as in cinder, cat. 



122 THIRTY-SECOND LESSON. 

H is not usually regarded as a true consonant, being 
simply a rough breathing, or aspiration, as it is called. 
Compare hat, at, oyster, hoister, etc. 

77/ is not an aspirated t, but a separate sound having 
its own definite position of the tongue. So ph is not 
aspirated p, but/ 1 . 

Vocal Exercises. — ( Continued. 
For Forward Placing of th Voice. 

1. Hum very softly the sound m. Open the mouth 
very gently, still keeping the sofl humming sound. 

2. Practise the hum with open mouth at the begin- 
ning. 

3. Practise in combination with the various vowel- 
sounds, thus: /// — a, m — o, prolonging both the hum- 
ming sound and the vowel. 

I. With full voice explode the sounds ma, ma, mo, 
as directed in Lesson X X I X. 

5. AU> use la, ta, Id, to, both softly and loudly. 
\\ iili no break in the .-"It humming sound, make a 
series of vowels like a a < o do with the sKghtesI poe- 
sible action of the agents of articulation. 

6. Practise crescendos and diminuendos; that is, in- 
creasing and diminishing the volume of sounds without 
changing the quality of the voice. 

To the Teacher :— The proper sensation here should be of a warm 
current of air passing through the face; or, in other words, 
of gentle vibration of the resonators. Enlarge this a^ea of 
vibration until it includes both head and chest. Test by 
closing the nostrils ; if the tone is properly placed, this will 
not interfere with it. 



VOCAL EXERCISES. 



123 



EXAMPLES FOR VOICE-PLACING AND BREATH-CONTROL. 



Full fathom five thy father lies ; 

Of his bones are coral made ; 
Those are pearls that were his eyes ; 

Nothing of him that doth fade 
But doth suffer a sea- change 
Into something rich and strange. 
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell : 

{Burden) Ding-dong — 
Hark ! now I hear them — Ding-dong, 



bell. 



— Shakespeare. 



Where the bee sucks, there suck I ; 

In a cowslip's bell I lie, 

There I couch when owls do cry. 

On the bat's back I do fly 

After Summer, merrily. 

Merrily, merrily shall I live now 

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough. 

— Shakespeare, 

1st Fairy. You spotted snakes with double tongue, 
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen ; 
Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, 
Come not near our fairy queen. 
Chorus. Philomel, with melody 

Sing in our sweet lullaby ; 
Lulla, lulla, lullaby ; lulla, lulla, lullaby ; 
Nor spell, nor charm, 
Come our lovely lady nigh ; 
So, good-night, with lullaby. 
1st Fairy. Weaving spiders, come not here ; 

Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence ! 
Beetles black, approach not near ; 
Worm nor snail, do no offence, 
Chorus. Philomel, with melody, etc. — Shakespeare. 



LESSON XXXIII. 



Actions of the Hand.— Continued. 



V. J/7""/. 

Extend the hand in front, with palm up, fingers 
active, as if fco take something. "Give it to me." 

This is the action of appeal. Jt is appropriate not 
only to a request for some object, but to all questions 
of appeal, such as ''am 1 not right?" "won't you do 
it?" and even to simple interrogations. 

VI. Rejection. 

With the hand extended in front, palm down, as if 
covering a flat surface, move the hand sideways out- 
ward, as if trying to push something away with the 
outer edge of the hand. 

This is rejection, denial, negation. "Take it away," 
" nonsense," " pshaw," "I don't believe it.'' Tins ac- 
tion i> stronger when the palm is "from earth," that 
is, as in IV. It is then called demonstrative rejection. 

TIL — Deda ration. 
Fold the hand slightly toward the body as in II., 
but without special activity of the forefinger ; then 



ACTIONS OF THE HAND. 125 

carry the hand outward at the side until the palm is 
toward the audience, as if to show that 3-011 have 
nothing concealed in or about your hand. 

This is declaration, revelation. "It is so," "you 
can see for yourself." 

VIII. — Declaration with Surrender. 

As in V., but with a downward inclination of the 
hand as well. 

This is a declarative movement with surrender. 
" You are right," "I acknowledge it," "I was wrong," 
"I give it up." (The downward tendency of the hand 
is in proportion to the degree of surrender, the out- 
ward to that of revelation.) 

IX. — Co n cea Intent. 

Place the hand upon the body, as if to conceal or 
caress some part of it. 

This is the opposite of VII. and VIII. It is the ac- 
tion of apprehension, concealment, self-caress. When 
we feel pain the hand seeks the suffering part in this 
way. 

Practise all the foregoing movements until the hand 
is flexible and free. At first relax the hand com- 
pletely between the gestures, but when the gestures 
have been thoroughly learned separately, practise 
them in a connected series in the order in which they 
have been given, and in other combinations, i.e., (1) 
indicate, (2) beckon, (3) admire or caress, (4) repel, (5) 



126 THIRTY-THIRD LESSON. 

appeal, (6) deny, (7) reveal, (8) surrender, (9) conceal. 
Practise with each hand until gesture is as natural with 
one as with the other. Numbers 2 to 9 may be prac- 
tised with both hands together. Finally, practise these 
action- from the elbow — that is, moving the forearm 
as well as the hand. Be careful to observe the proper 
order of movement, namely, the forearm moves first, 
then the hand. The hand is surrendered until the 
forearm is nearly in it- place, thru the hand acts as 
before. 

EXAMPLES FOB PBACTICE. 

Oh! then, I see, Queen Mab hath been with you. 
She comes, 
In shape ii" bigger than an agate-stone 
On the forefinger of an alderman, 
l brawn with a team of little atomies 
Athwart men's Qoa s, as they lit- asleep. 
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut, 
Blade by the joiner, Squirrel, or old Grub, 
Time out o' mind the fairies 1 coachmakers. 
Her wagon-spokes made of long spinners' legs; 
The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers; 
The traces, of the smallest spider's web; 
The collars, of the moonshine's watery beams; 
Her whip, of cricket's bone ; the lash, of film ; 
Her wagoner, a small gray-coated gnat; 
And in this state she gallops night by night 
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love. 
On courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight ; 
O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees , 
O'er ladies' lips, whe straight on kisses dream, 
"Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues 
Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are. 
Sometimes she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, 



VOCAL EXERCISES. 127 

And then dreams he of smelling out a suit ; 
And sometimes comes she with a tithe-pig's tail 
Tickling a parson's nose that lies asleep, 
Then dreams he of another benefice ; 
Sometimes she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, 
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, 
Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, 
Of healths five fathom deep: and then, anon, 
Drums in his ear — at which he starts and wakes, 
And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, 
And sleeps again. — Shakespeare. 

Can storied urn or animated bust 
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath ? 

Can Honor's voice provoke the silent dust, 
Or Flattery soothe the dull, cold ear of Death ? 

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, 
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, 

Await alike th' inevitable hour — 
The paths of glory lead but to the grave. 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene 
The dark, unf athom'd caves of ocean bear ; 

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air. 

Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast 

The little tyrant of his fields withstood, 
Some mute, inglorious Milton here may rest ; 

Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood. 

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command, 

The threats of pain and ruin to despise, 
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land, 

And read their history in a nation's eyes, 

Their lot forbade : nor circumscribed alone 
Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined, 

Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne, 
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind. — Gray. 



128 THIRTY-FOURTH LESSON. 

Up, up ! my friend, and quit your books, 

Or surely you'll grow double ; 
Up, up ! my friend, and clear your looks ; 

Why all this toil and trouble V 
The sun, above the mountain's head, 

A freshening lustre mellow 
Through all the long green fields has spread, 

His first sweet evening yellow. 
Books ! 'tis a dull and endless strife ; 

Come, hear the woodland linnet; 
How sweet his music! on my life, 

There's more of wisdom in it. — Wordsworth. 



LESSON XXIY. 



Pitch, Movement, and Volume. 



All light, unconstrained feelings manifest themselves 
by high pitch and more or less rapid movement. 

Merrily swinging od briar and weed, 
Near to the nest of his little dame; 

Over the mountain-side or mead 
Robert of Lincoln is telling his name.— Bryant. 

Serions, dignified expression, od the other hand, calls 
for self-restraint; therefore, the movement will be 
slower, the pitch lower, and the pauses more frequent 
and longer in proportion to the degree of seriousness or 
dignity. Very solemn or sad expression would have 
low tone and very slow movement. 



PITCH, MOVEMENT, AND VOLUME. 129 

How long, O Catiline, wilt thou abuse our patience ? 

How long sbalt thou baffle justice in tby mad career? — Cicero. 

To be — or not to be — that is the question. — Shakespeare. 

Break, break, break, 

At the foot of tbe crags, O sea ! 

But the tender grace of a day that is dead 

Will never come back to me. — Tennyson. 

In excitement the movement is abrupt with frequent 
jauses. 

And lo ! — as be looks — on tbe belfry's height 

A glimmer— and then a gleam of light ! 

A hurry of hoofs in a village street — 

A shape in the moonlight — a bulk in the dark — 

And beneath— from the pebbles in passing— a spark — 

Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet.— Longfellow. 

In unemotional reading we have medium pitch 
and rate, that is, the pitch and rate of ordinary con- 
versation. 

There is one accomplishment, in particular, which I would ear- 
nestly recommend to you. Cultivate assiduously the ability to read 
well. Where one person is really interested by music, twenty are 
pleased by good reading. Where one person is capable of becoming 
a skilful musician, twenty may become good readers. — Hart. 

With regard to the volume or loudness of the voice, 
it may be said that, in general, the ordinary speaking- 
voice is sufficient. In shrieking, calling, shouting, 
cheering, and the expression of unrestrained anger 
or defiance, the volume may be very great, but even 
here do not try to stun your hearers. Never mistake 
noise or bluster for intensity. True feeling does not 
manifest itself by explosive utterance. In gentle, 



130 THIRTY-FOURTH LESSOX. 

subdued emotions, the voice is soft and musical, 
whilst in awe, secrecy, and fear, it sinks almost and 
sometimes quite to a whisper. 

Remember that in speaking in a large hall, it is 
necessary to allow time for the voice to reach every 
person in the audience, so we should speak more 
slowly than when at homo, or in the school-room. 
If avc are careful to do this, we need not shout nor 
strain the yoice, but we can nse ourevery-day conver- 
sational tone and be perfectly at case. 

Do not speak in a measured and stilted manner at 
an} 7 time, but keep the same proportion between im- 
portant and unimportant words as in ordinary con- 
versation. K is best to talk, for the most part, to 
thai portion of the audience that is farthest from you. 
In that \\a\ you will learn to " project " the tone so 
that the words are carried distinctly everywhere. 

If there is an echo, speak more softly and slowly 
than usual. Always begin quietly, so that you feel a 
sense of reserve power. 

Carefully avoid diminishing the volume of the voice 
in any phrase after the emphatic word has been 
reached. To give the remaining words with less than 
the previous degree of strength gives an impression of 
physical weakness, as if the breath had given out. Of 
course, this rule does not apply to instances where 
that especial effect is desired. 

Do not interpret what has been said here to mean 
that the volume of the voice is never to vary. In all 



PITCH, MOVEMENT, AND VOLUME. 131 

strong, vital emotions there will be a more or less grad- 
ual increase of volume corresponding to the crescendo in 
music, culminating on the emphatic word. In very 
tender emotions the volume may gradually diminish 
until the emphatic word is reached. Compare ' ' How I 
hate you " with " How I love you." 

By this time your studies have shown you many 
examples of what is called emotional emphasis — 
that is, expression which brings out the feelings of the 
speaker, as well as the ideas in his mind. All of the 
elements of expression are means of portraying emotion. 
You should use these means wherever they are appro- 
priate, but always try to really feel what you would 
express and express only what you feel. This is 
the secret of natural delivery. One may cultivate and 
control the emotions just as one develops the intellectual 
powers. Moreover, in so doing we learn the lesson of 
self-mastery, which is far more important than the most 
perfect expr essi< >i 1 . 

Notice that in many of the following examples many 
single words have an emotional meaning of their own. 
Such are ' ' lazy, " " dawdling, " " awful, " " angry, ' ' 
' ' holy. ' ' The same rules of expression ajyply to these 
as to phrases and sentences. 

The tense or relaxed states of the body, and especially 
of the pharynx or back of the mouth, have much to do 
. with emotional expressions. In love and pleasure, gen- 
erally, we draw in our words and linger over them, while 
we expel more or less violently words that express un- 



132 THIRTY-FOURTH LESSON. 

pleasant tilings. Compare beautiful, gentle, noble, kind, 
holy, with bestial, disgusting, contemptible, nauseous, 
hideous, or with expletives, bah, pshaw, and the like. 

EXAMPLES OF TRANSITION IX EXPRESSION. 

Never a horse a jockey would worship and admire 
Like Flash in front of the engine a-racing to the fire; 
Never a *orse so lazy, so dawdling, and so slack, 
As Flash upon his return trip, a-dra wing the engine back. 

— Carleton. 

The combal deepens. < >n, ye brave, 
Who rush to glory <>r the grave! 
Wave, Munich' all thy banners wave, 
And charge with all thy chivalry! 

Ah! few shall part where many meet! 
The snow shall be^their winding-sheet, 
And every turf beneath their feel 
Shall be a soldier's sepulchre.— ( 'ampbell 

Bush! hark' did stealing steps go by ? Came cot faint whispers 

near '.' 
No! The wild wind hath many a sigh amid the foliage sere. 

Hark" yet again! and from his hand what grasp hath wrenched 

the blade ? 
Oh, single 'midst a hostile hand, young soldier, thou'rt betrayed! 
••Silence!" in undertones they cry; "no whisper — not a breath! 
The sound that warns thy comrades nigh shall sentence thee to 

death ! " 

Still at the bayonet's point he stood, and strong to meet the blow; 
And shouted, 'midst his rushing blood, "Arm! arm! Auvergne! 

the foe ! " 
The stir, the tramp, the bugle-call, he heard their tumults grow; 
And sent his dying voice through all, "Auvergne! Auvergne! 
the foe! " — Mrs. Hemans. 



FULL-ARM GESTURES. 133 

Old Master Brown brought his ferule down ; 

His face was angry and red : 

" Anthony Blair, go sit you there 
Among the girls," he said. 

So Anthony Blair, with a mortified air, 
And his head hung down on his breast, 

Went right away and sat all day • 
With the girl who loved him best. 



LESSOH XXXV. 



Full-Arm Gestures. 



Full-arm gestures are appropriate where there is great 
earnestness, strong feeling, or when addressing an audi- 
ence of any size. 

We have an almost infinite number of expressive 
actions of the arm, but a few examples will suffice to 
illustrate right and wrong ways of making them. 

One of the most common faults is not observing the 
proper order of movement, which is: First, upper arm; 
second, forearm ; finally, the hand and fingers. An- 
other fault is to finish the gesture with the arm only 
partly developed, "broken," as we sometimes say 
(Fig. 5). 

Exercise I. 

Indication [j_>al hi ujj). 
Select an object at the side. Remember that the 
actions of the eye and head precede that of the arm. 



134 



THIRTY-FIFTH LESSON. 



1. Raise the upper arm, letting the rest of the arm 

hang lifeless, until the 

.-......«.._.. elbow points in the di- 
ll -gBST . 
*~ : - :j J rection of the object. 

2. Straighten the fore- 
arm, at the same time 
turning it at the elbow 
so that the hand, which 
still remains passive, is 
moved edgewise until 
the wrist is " from earth," bringing the palm up. 

3. Straighten oul the hand with the forefinger point- 
tag as described in Lesson XXXI. Use every-day ex- 
pressions, like " look at that," " take a chair." 




I. : R( [SE II. 

Indication (palm doum). 

This is a more active expression than the former 

, one. In pointing out objects 

| I at a great distance, <>r where 

rj_ there is great earnestness, ex- 

Fl,: 19 < citement or command, we use 

this form of indication ; the other is more easy and 
trustful. 

The order of action is as before, but with the outer 
edge of the hand leading instead of the inner. (Fig. 18.) 
" Go !" "Who is it leans from the belfry with face 
upturned to the sky?" 



FULL- ABM GESTURES. 



135 



Practise these until the three movements blend 
gracefully. Be very careful not to overdo the move- 
ments or add affected curves to the forearm and 
hand movements. Make every gesture as simple as 
possible. 

Exercise III. 
Indication of Self — Folding Movement. 

Here the arm folds in instead of developing out- 
ward. With the arm hanging at the side : 

(a) Turn the arm slightly, bringing the palm out- 
ward, at the same time carrying the elbow out a very 
little distance from the body. (Fig. 20.) 






(6) Fold the hand so as to bring the fingers point- 
ing toward the part to be indicated. (Fig. 21.) 

(c) Fold the forearm, at the same time raising the 
upper arm and carrying it out from the body, until the 
fingers touch the spot you wish to indicate. (Fig. 22.) 



136 



Til III TV- FIFTH L EPSON. 



Study tlie movements separately, then blend them. 
Indicate various parts of the body, using appropri- 
ate expressions, for instance : touching the forehead 

with the forefinger , 
" let me see;" touching 
the lips, " hush ;" 
pressing the palm 
against the heart, "< )h, 
] have suffered with 
Fio.23, those that I saw suf- 

fer;" touching the side of the nose with the forefin- 
ger, "Joey 1>. is sly, sir." Fig. 23 illustrates an indi- 
cation preceded 1»\ a folding movement. Where there 
is strong personal feeling, gestures arc often begun in 
this way, mental gestures starting from the head, emo- 
tional gestures, love, indignation, etc., from the chest 
or lir.nt region, vital gestures from the waist. 




Exer< ese I V. 

Suspense. 

An attitude <»f the Laud and arm which often accom- 
panies the attitude of suspense or hesitation in the 
legs is that in which the hand is drawn in toward the 
body, the palm downward, the fingers spread well 
apart, and the elbow active, very much as in Fig. 26, 
but with the hand much nearer the line of the waist, 
and not quite so near the body. Fig. 33 is also an 
example of another and stronger form of suspensive 
action, indicating a tendency to repel. These attitudes 



FULL-ARM GESTURES. 137 

always go finally into some fully developed gesture, 
varying, of course, according to the emotion that suc- 
ceeds the state of suspense. 

EXEECISE Y. 

Returning to Rest. 

In bringing the arm to rest again after one or more 
gestures, if the last gesture has been a folding move- 
ment, simply unfold again in inverse order (c, b, a) and 
let the arm fall back in a relaxed position ; if the ges- 
ture is an extended one, turn the forearm until the 
■wrist is downward, "to earth," if not already in that 
position, then relax the arm, still holding the hand in 
position, and sink the wrist ; let the arm drop at the 
side, the wrist drawing the hand after it. 

Practise this slowly until control is gained. Prac- 
tise also carrying the arm from side to side, the hand 
following the movement of the arm in the same way, 
just as a handkerchief waved to and fro follows the 
hand. 

Practise all the gestures described in Lessons 
XXXI. and XXXIII. with full-arm movements. 

To the Teacher: — In all gestures made with one band only, except 
the very lightest, there is a tendenc\ r in the less active hand to 
sympathize with the action of the other, either by acting in op- 
position, in less demonstrative parallelism, or by taking an atti- 
tude expressive of the emotion that prompts the gesture. This 
action of the weak hand is called the supporting gesture. To 
enter upon the study of these gestures in detail would be beyond 
the limits that I have assigned" myself in the preparation of this 
book. The supporting action will be strong in propoition to the 
strength of the principal gesture. Encourage the pupils iu the 



13S THIRTY-SIXTH LESSON. 



greatest freedom of movement. If there is genuine feeling be- 
hind the gesture, the supporting movement or attitude will take 
care of itself. See that it does not contradict the gesture, and 
at least insist on a corresponding attitude of the hand if there 
is reluctanee on the part of the pupil to go further. The knowl- 
edge and ingenuity of the teacher must supplement the instruc- 
tions given here as elsewhere. The voice and example of a 
good instructor are worth more than any written description of an 
exercise. Caution pupils against making too many gestures and 
against extravagant action. For instance, in declaration the arms 
may rise through all degrees of altitude to a considerable angle 
above the line of the shoulders, yet in ordinary expression an 
angle of thirty to forty-five degrees from the perpendicular is 
amply sufficient, and often, especially in conversation, the arm 
hardly more than pivots so as to bring the palm out. Teach your 
scholars that a gesture is a strong form of emphasis, and must 
be reserved for a climax, and, except in very light, trivial emo- 
tions, must be sustained until the end of the sentence in which 
it occurs, unless superseded by another action. 



LESSON XXXVI. 



Oppositions of the Head and Arms. 



If we wish to be sure that the person whom we ad- 
dress in Indication sees the object indicated, we look 
back from it to him, still pointing toward the object. 
For instance, in pointing out an object at the right, 
we would turn the head toward it ; but when the arm 
began to move toward the object, the head would begin 
to turn back toward the person addressed. When the 
head and arm move in the same direction, they are 
said to have parallel . motion. When, as described 
above, the head and arm move in opposite directions 



OPPOSITIONS OF THE HEAD AND ARMS. 139 

at the same time, tliey are said to be in opposition, or 
to oppose each other. 

Law : Parallel movements should be successive, 
opposing movements should be simultaneous. 

If the head and arm move in the same direction to- 
gether, the appearance to the beholder is often very 
ridiculous and always awkward. When, on the con- 
trary, opposing movements follow each other, the 
action seems to drag, and the harmony of the gesture 
is destroyed. The law applies to the whole body. 
When we draw back as in fear, the hand and arm go 
toward the object ; when the hand is drawn back, the 
body advances. If there is parallel action, as in greet- 
ing a friend, the body and arm both advancing, be 
careful that the movements are always successive, the 
body first, the arm succeeding. 

Exercise I. 

Indication with Opposition of Head and Arm. 
(Figs. 24, 25.) 

Order of Movement. 
First, the eye and head turn toward the object, then 
as the arm begins to rise to its position, or "develop," 
as we sometimes say, the head and eyes return to their 
original position, or, if we are addressing a particular 
individual, until the gaze is fixed upon him. The arm 
is fully developed just as the eye and hand finish their 
return movement, so that both come to rest at the 
same time. With folding movement, fold as the head 
is turning toward the object. 



140 



THIRTY-SIXTH LESSON. 





EXEKCISE II. 



Rejection, or Denial. (Figs. 26, 27.) 

Action of head and eye as in Indication, the arm in 
front, folding it toward the body while the head turns 
toward the object rejected. As the head returns, the 
arm moves outward at the side as if pushing some- 
thing away. This may be practised with the edge 
and with the palm. Xiie edge is more graceful, while 
the palm gives the impression of greater strength 
being exerted. In the lighter forms of rejection, the 
arm hardly folds at all, but starts out at once from its 
position at the side. 



OPPOSITIONS OF THE HEAD AND ARMS. 141 





Exercise III. 



Rejection of Trifles. 

Kejection of trifles is made with the weakest part 
of the hand, i.e., the back, and either outward or up- 
ward. The latter is the more contemptuous action. 

In all oppositions, the degree of action in the head 
is in direct proportion to that of the arm. The head 
inclines or pivots from the object according to the 
strength of feeling. The inclination of the head is 
less powerful than the pivot. In rejection of trifles 
the action of the head will be slight ; in fact, the eve 
alone is often sufficient for this gesture. 



!4-> 



THIRTY-SIXTH LESSON. 






Front View. 
Fig. 30. 



Exercise IY. 



Affirmation. (Figs. 28, 29, 30.) 

Here the action is up and down instead of outward. 
The arm first folds as in self-indication, but without 
bringing the hand quite so near to the bochy, while the 
head bows toward it. Then the head rises to the 
normal attitude, or is even lifted in strong affirmation, 
while the arm unfolds, finishing its gesture with the 
palm open toward the audience. 

Practise this as well as the preceding with three 
degrees of emphasis : (1) moderate ; (2) with consider- 
able energy ; (3) with head uplifted and arm extended 



OPPOSITIONS OF THE HEAD AND ARMS. 143 



straight downward at the front, with the hand fully 
expanded. Practise also bringing the edge of the 
hand instead of the palm toward the audience. This 
is definition, or the teacher's affirmation, and is appro- 
priate to quiet, earnest moods of the mind. Also with 
clinched fist. This affirmation is appropriate to anger, 
defiance, and the like. 





Exercise V. 
Assertion, (Figs. 31, 32.) 
The head rises, the eye seeking heaven, then returns 
to the audience while the arm is lifted. 



144 



THIRTY-SIXTH LESSON. 



Practise this with forefinger pointing upward and 
with open palm. The former is intellectual, the latter 
more emotional, open-hearted, strong. 





Exercise VI. 

Repulsion. (Figs. 33, 34.) 

The hands are thrust out as if to push something 
away, while the whole body draws back and turns 
away as if shrinking from some dreaded or displeasing 
object. 

Of course, the strength of the action will depend 
upon the degree of repugnance. It may vary from 
playful, or pretended repulsion to that caused by ex- 



OPPOSITIONS OF THE HEAD AND ARMS. 145 

treme fear. Remember to draw back the hips more 
than the shoulders. 

Practise in various directions : in front, at the sides, 
upward, and downward, keeping the eye fixed on the 
object, and also turning the face away, as if unable to 
endure the sight. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

It is only the pure fountain that brings forth pure water. The 
good tree only will produce the good fruit. If the centre from 
which all proceeds is pure and holy, the radii of influence from it 
will be pure and holy also. Go forth, then, into the spheres that 
you occupy, the employments, the trades, the professions of 
social life ; go forth into the high places or into the lowly places 
of the land ; mix with the roaring cataracts of social convulsions, 
or mingle amid the eddys and streamlets of quiet and domestic 
life ; whatever sphere you fill, carrying into it a holy heart, you 
will radiate around you life and power, and leave behind you 
holy and beneficent influences. — Cumming. 

Up from the meadows, rich with corn, 
Clear, in the cool September morn, 
The clustered spires of Frederick stand, 
Green-walled by the hills of Maryland. — Wliittier. 

" Come back, come back, Horatius! " loud cried the fathers all. 
" Back, Lartius! back, Herminius! Back, ere the ruin fall!" 

— Macaulay. 

" The olde sea-wall (he cried) is downe ; 

The rising tide comes on apace, 
And boats adrift in yonder towne 

Go sailing uppe the market-place. " 
He shook as one that looks on death . 
" God save you, mother! " straight he saith; 
" Where is my wife, Elizabeth ? " 



146 THIRTY-SIXTH LESSON. 

A moment there was awful pause — 

When Berkeley cried, ' ' Cease, traitor ! cease ; 

God's temple is the house of peace ! " 

The other shouted, ' ' Nay, not so, 
When God is with our righteous cause ; 
His holiest places then are ours." — T. 3. Read. 

Brutus. How ill this taper burns ! Ha ! who comes here ? 
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes 
That shapes this monstrous apparition. 
It comes upon me.' Art thou anything ? 
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil, 
That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare ? 
Speak to me what thou art. 

Ghost. Thy evil spirit, Brutus. 

Bru. Why comest thou ? 

Ghost. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi. 

Bru. Well ; then I shall see thee again ? 

Ghost. Aye, at Philippi. 

Bru. Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then. [Exit Ghost.] 
Now I have taken heart, thou vanishest : 
111 spirit, I would hold more talk with thee. 
Boy Lucius ! Varro ! Claudius ! Sirs, awake ! 
Claudius ! —Shakespeare. 

While the Union lasts, we have high, exciting, gratifying pros- 
pects spread out before us, for us and our children. Beyond that 
I seek not to penetrate the veil. God grant that, in my day at 
least, that curtain may not rise ! God grant that on my vision 
never may be opened what lies behind ! When my eyes shall be 
turned to behold, for the last time, the sun in heaven, may I not 
see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once 
glorious Union ; on States dissevered, discordant, belligerent ; on 
a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in fraternal 
blood ! Let their last feeble and lingering glance, rather, behold 
gorgeous ensign of the Kepublic, now known and honored 
throughout the earth, still full high advanced, its arms and 
trophies streaming in their original lustre, not a stripe erased or 



DIFFICULT ARTICULATION. 147 

polluted, nor a single star obscured — bearing for its motto no 
such miserable interrogatory as ' ' What is all this worth ? " nor 
those other words of delusion and folly, ' ' Liberty first, and 
Union afterwards " — but everywhere, spread all over in charac- 
ters of living light, blazing on all its ample folds, as they float over 
the sea and over the land, and in every wind under the whole 
heavens, that other sentiment — dear to every true American 
heart — Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and insepa- 
rable ! — Webster. 



LESSOH XXXVII. 



Articulation. — Continued. — Difficult 
Comnirreitions. 



The following list of words and sentences contains 
specimens of nearly every difficult combination of conso- 
nant-sounds that you are likely to meet in reading. 
Some are, of course, very rarely found, but all should 
he practised in order to attain flexibility and accuracy 
in the use of the agents of articulation. 

Acts, facts, lists, ghosts, depths, droop' st, adopts, 
fifths, laughst, hookst, desks, satst, help'st, twelfths, 
thefts, milk'st, halt'st, limp'st, attemptst, want'st, 
thinkst, warpst, dwarf st, hurtst, sixths, eighths, texts, 
protects, stifl'st, sparkFst, waken' st, robb'st, amidst, 
width, digg'st, rav'st, writh'st, prob'dst, hundredths, 
begg'dst, besieg'dst, catch'dst, troubl'st, trifl'st, shov'lst, 
kindl'st, struggl'st, puzzl'st, shieldst, revolv'st, help'dst, 
tremblMst, triiTdst, shov'ldst, involv'dst, twinkl'dst, 
fondl'dst, dazzl'dst, rattl'dst, send'st, wak'n'dst, mad- 



148 THIRTY-SEVENTH LESSON. 

d'n'dst, lighten'dst, ripen'dst, hearken'dst, doom'dst, 
o'erwhelin'dsts, absorbst, regard'st, curb'dst, hurl'dst, 
charm'dst, returu'dst, starv'dst, strength'ns, strengtli'n'd, 
wrong'dst, lengthen'dst, sooth'dst, act'st, lift'st, melt'st, 
hurt'st, wani'st, shout'st, touch'd, parcli'd, help'dst, 
bark'dst, prorapt'st, touch'dst, rattl'st. 

Put the cut pumpkin in a pij)kin. Coop up the 
cook. A big mad dog bit bad Bob. Keep the tippet 
ticket Kate hates tight tapes. Geese cackle, cattle 
low, crows caw, cocks crow. The bleak breeze blighted 
the bright broom blossoms. Dick dipped the tippet 
and dripped it. Giddy Kittie's tawdry gewgaws. The 
needy needlewoman needn't wheedle. Fetch the poor 
fellow's feather pillow. A very watery western vapor. 
Six thick thistle sticks. She says she shall sew a 
sheet. The sun shines on the shop signs. A shock- 
ing sottish set of shopmen. A short soft shot- silk 
sash. A silly shatter-brained chatterbox. Fetch six 
chaises. She thrust it through the thatch. Thrice the 
shrew threw the shoe. The slow snail's slime. I snuff 
shop snuff, do you snuff shop snuff ? She sells seashells. 
Some shun sunshine. The sweep's suitably sooty 
suit. A rural ruler. Truly rural. Literally literaiy. 
Bobert loudly rebuked Richard, who ran lustily roar- 
ing round the lobby. His right leg lagged in the race. 
Amidst the mists with angry boasts he thrusts his 
fists against the posts, and still insists he sees the 
ghosts. Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascal 
ran. Peter Piper picked a peck of jnckled peppers. 



DIFFICULT ARTICULATION. 149 

Theopkihis Thistle, the successful Thistle sifter, 
iu sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three 
thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb ; now 
if Theophilus Thistle, the successful thistle sifter, 
in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three 
thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb, see 
that thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, 
thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick 
of thy thumb. Success to the successful thistle sifter, 

My dame has a lame tame crane, 
My dame has a crane that is tame ; 
Oh, pray, gentle Jane, 
Let my dame's lame tame crane 
Drink and come home again. 

Laid in the cold ground [not coal ground]. Half I 
see the panting spirit sigh [not spirit's eye]. Be the 
same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire 
[not thy known]. Oh, the torment of an ever-meddling 
memory [not a never meddling]. All night it lay an 
ice-drop there [not a nice drop]. Oh, studied deceit 
[not study]. A sad dangler [not angler]. Goodness 
centres in the heart [not enters]. His crime moved 
me [not cry]. Chaste stars [not chase tars]. She 
could pain nobody [not pay]. Make clean our hearts 
[not lean]. His beard descending swept his aged 
breast [not beer]. Did you say ten minutes to wait, 
or ten minutes to eight ? A sore eye saw I. Why y V 
Thou straightest, fastest strokes struck'dst, Stephen. 



150 THIRTY-EIGHTH LESSON. 

To the Teacher :— Many of the above sentences have been taken 
from Pro f . Bell's excellent work, " The Principles of Elocu- 
tion," to which I am glad to refer all teachers who wish to be 
abreast of the times in our art. Be careful that pupils do not 
overdo the sound of s so frequent in many of these combinations; 
in combinations like sts, in lasts, posts, etc., the difficulty is not 
with the s, but to bring out properly the t. The separation of 
similar sounds, as of two s'a in succession, can only be effected 
by an instant of perfect jaw-relaxation between them. It is 
taken for granted that the teacher understands the actions of 
the various agents of articulation sufficiently well to be able to 
point out such technical exercises for overcoming special defi- 
ciencies as may be necessaiy in addition to those I have given. 



LESSON XXXVIII. 



Facial Expression. 

The forehead, eyes, nose and month are the agents 
of facial expression. Facial expression comes in or- 
der of succession before gestures of any part. The 
face is next the brain, and is the first part to receive 
impressions from it. 

A smooth forehead denotes calmness, serenity. The 
brow drawn down and contracted indicates mental 
concentration, perplexity, antagonism, resistance to 
pain, according to the degree of contraction. The 
brow lifted indicates interested or eager attention, 
surprise. The brow lifted and contracted denotes 
sorrow, grief, patient endurance of mental or physical 
suffering. The brow rises with the " patient shrug." 



FACIAL EXPRESSION. 151 

We have already discussed the eye in previous les- 
sons. 

The nose has few actions, and is not capable of 
many changes. It is the centre of the face, and like 
the torso, which is the centre of the body, must main- 
tain a dignity commensurate with its position. The 
nostrils expand in strong emotions to allow more air 
to enter the lungs. A large, open nostril is always a 
sign of strong vitality ; a pinched or contracted nostril 
denotes physical weakness. One nostril drawn up in- 
dicates disgust, contempt ; both nostrils drawn up is 
the bearing of a mean, evil-minded person. 

The mouth is the most expressive feature. Orators 
have large mouths as a rule. A small mouth shows a 
delicate, refined, but not powerful nature. We will 
consider the lips and lower jaw, which give the mouth 
its expression, separately. 

Thin lips are cold, unemotional ; thick, protruding 
lips are sensual, coarse. The lips drawn in indicate 
concentration, primness, severity ; protruded slightly 
they indicate affection ; they are protruded and con- 
tracted, much as Li whistling, when Ave are exercising 
the judgment, discrimination. The pout is a rejection 
by the lips ; in great disgust we act precisely as if we 
were trying to get rid of a disagreeable substance in 
the mouth. The lips drawn down at the corners indi- 
cate sadness, disappointment, melancholy ; the corners 
are drawn up in pleasurable emotions. One side of 



152 THIRTY-EIGHTH LESSOX. 

the lip drawn up corresponds to and accompanies the 
contemptuous action of the nose. 

A strong lower jaw shows strength, firmness of 
character ; a receding jaw, weakness. The jaw is set 
firmly in self-control, resistance, antagonism ; it relaxes 
in pleasure, and opens in admiration, surprise, fear 
and terror. It hangs lifelessly in weakness, prostra- 
tion, imbecility, despair. The jaw advances in threat- 
ening, anger, hatred. 

Observe that almost all the conditions described in 
this lesson may be bearings, indicating various types 
of character. Do not be too hasty in judging your as- 
sociate by these hints ; there are sometimes strange 
exceptions to general rules. Socrates, for instance, 
one of the greatest and noblest of all men, was in ap- 
pearance almost repulsive. We may do much to over- 
come natural defects by the exercise of the will, and 
many men have conquered inborn tendencies of the 
most unlovely character while still retaining the 
stamp that nature placed on them at birth. So, many 
naturally symmetrical natures have allowed themselves 
to be warped out of all true moral poise, and yet to 
the superficial observer have lost little of their exter- 
nal beauty. Remember that " 'tis the mind that 
makes the body rich" or poor, as the case may be. 

To the Teacheh: — The pupils should work out the facial ex- 
pression of a giveu emotion, say surprise, indicating the ex- 
pression of each part, then adding the proper attitudes or 
actions of the torso and limbs. More advanced pupils may 
employ themselves with complex emotions, such as surprise with 
hatred, with fear, with joy; joy with humility, affection, arro- 



FACIAL EXPRESSION. 153 

gance, and the almost infinite number of similar combina- 
tions. My purpose in reserving the consideration of this sub- 
ject until the last (and, indeed, I had some doubts as to the 
advisability of saying as much as I have on the subject), is 
that untrained pupils are very apt to overdo facial expression 
if they undertake it at all in the beginning. I have felt that 
these subtile manifestations would develop themselves nat- 
urally in connection with the broader phases of gesture and 
attitude previously discussed, provided those have been 
accompanied by the proper inward impulse, without which 
no expression, however studied, seems spontaneous. I have 
inserted this matter at the request of several teachers whose 
experience has differed from mine in this respect, and who 
find that many of their pupils have no facial expression at 
all. But I implore all teachers to be exceedingly careful to 
discourage the writhings of the lips, scowls, affected eleva- 
tions of the brows, and fine-frenzy-rolling eyes, with which 
so many would-be dramatic readers afflict their unfortunate 
audiences. 



EXAMPLES FOR FACIAL EXPRESSION. 

The one with yawning made reply : 

' ' What have we seen ? — Not much have I ! 

Trees, meadows, mountains, groves and streams, 

Blue sky and clouds and sunny gleams." 

The other, smiling, said the same ; 

But with face transfigured and eye of flame : 

"Trees, meadows, mountains, groves and streams! 

Blue sky and clouds and sunny gleams! " — Brooks 

But hush ! hark ! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell 

Did ye not hear it ? No ; 'twas but the wind, 

Or the car rattling o'er the stony street; 

On with the dance ! Let joy be unconfined ; 

No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet, 

To chase the glowing hours with flying feet — 

But, hark ! — that heavy sound breaks in once more. 

As if the clouds its echo would repeat ; 

And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before ! 

Arm ! arm ! It is— it is the cannon's opening roar !— Byron. 



154 THIRTY-EIGHTH LESSON. 

Prop yer eyes wide open, Joey, 

Fur I've brought you sumpin great. 
Apples ? No, a heap sight better! 

Don't you take no int'rest ? Wait ! 
Flowers, Joe — I know'd you'd like 'em — 

Ain't them scrumptious ? Ain't them high ? 
Tears, my boy ? Wot's them fur, Joey ? 

There— poor little Joe!— don't cry \—Peleg Arkwright. 

We are two travellers, Roger and I. 

Roger's my dog. Come here, you scamp. 
Jump for the gentlemen — mind your eye! 

Over the table — look out for the lamp ! 
The rogue is growing a little old : 

Five years we've tramped through wind and weather, 
And slept out doors when nights were cold, 

And ate, and drank, and starved together. 

We've learned what comfort is, I tell you : 

A bed on the floor, a bit of rosin, 
A fire to thaw our thumbs (poor fellow, 

The paw he holds up there has been frozen), 
Plenty of catgut for my fiddle 

(This out-door business is bad for strings), 
Then a few nice buckwheats hot from the griddle, 

And Roger and I set up for kings. 

No, thank you, sir, I never drink. 

Roger and I are exceedingly moral, 
Aren't we, Roger ? See him wink. 

Well, something hot then, we won't quarrel. 
He's thirsty, too— see him nod his head. 

What a pity, sir, that dogs can't talk ; 
He understands every word that's said, 

And he knows good milk from water and chalk. 

— Trowbridge, "The Vagabonds.'" 

Sir- wck [aside]. How like a fawning nublican he looks ! 
I hate him. for he is a Christian ! 
If I can catch him once upon the hip 
I vvill feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. 
Cursed be my tribe 



DESCRIPTION. 155 

If I forgive him ! 

[To Antonio.] Rest you fair, good signior; 

Your worship was the last man in our mouths. 

— Shakespeare. 

Macbeth. Didst thou not hear a noise ? 

Lady Macbeth. I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry. 
Did not you speak ? 
Macb. When ? 
Lady M. Now. 
Macb. As I descended ? 
Lady M. Ay. 

Macb. Hark ! Who lies i' the second chamber ? 
Lady M. Donalbain. — Shakespeare. 



LESSOH XXXI X. 



Description. 



Pantomime lias another office besides expressing 
emotions; it is very useful in assisting us to convey 
vivid inrpressions of what we may be describing. This 
function is called imitation or description. Gestures 
of indication are descriptive in their character. We 
convey impressions of great size, volume, majesty, by 
broad expansion of the arms; we bring the tips of 
the fingers of both hands near together to describe 
small, insignificant objects ; when using one hand, the 
thumb touching the little finger suggests very tiny 
objects. 



156 THIRTY-NINTH LESSON. 

Actions that we call functional, like pushing, pull- 
ing, hammering, twisting, the action of the hand in 
writing, playing an instrument, waving a handker- 
chief, and a hundred others, are used imitatively. 

The tremolo of the hand — that is, a rapid movement 
to and fro sideways — suggests many similar tremu- 
lous movements in nature, the ripple of water, of sun- 
shine, the movement of the leaves. The tremolo 
should be very delicate, and requires much flexibility 
at the wrist. 

All emotional manifestations are used imitatively 
when we describe an emotion in another. Descrip- 
tive actions of all kinds must not be overdone. Broad 
description is allowable only in comedy. In serious 
reading suggest rather than imitate : the more delicate 
the suggestion the more artistic will be your expres- 
sion. 

The voice also has an imitative function. All re- 
productions of peculiar qualities, as of an old man's 
voice, nasal, throaty, or flat tones, the vocal character- 
istics of different nations and races, are vocal imita- 
tions. The volume of the voice is sometimes made 
use of imitatively, the tone becoming more sonorous 
in describing grandeur, majesty, and more than usu- 
ally delicate in suggesting delicate things. We often 
hear vocal imitations of various sounds in nature, the 
calls of animals, chirping of birds, the vibration of 
bells, and the like. Use imitation sparingly. 

It is very essential in description, as, indeed, in all 



DESCRIPTION. 157 

recitation, that you yourself see vividly the picture or 
scene that you wish to portray. Cultivate your im- 
agination until each object and person in your story 
appears as clearly before your mind's eye as if you 
had at some time actually seen them. You should be 
able to describe the dress and peculiarities of appear- 
ance of a character even in many details that the au- 
thor has not suggested, and fill out the barest outline 
of a scene with mountains, trees, houses, furniture, or 
whatever would be appropriate to it. Have, too, a 
definite locality for everything in your picture. Do 
not place a thing at your left that a moment before 
was at your right, nor one at your feet that was just 
now a hundred yards away. Bear in mind, however, 
that whenever you, as spectator, are supposed to 
change your position, everything in the picture also 
changes its position relative to you. For instance, 
in the opening lines of " Barbara Frietchie " the 
spectator describes the village of Frederick and its 
surroundings from an imaginary distance of several 
miles, but soon he finds himself in the village itself. 
Generally when one person takes two characters, as 
would be done in reciting the tent scene in " Julius 
Caesar," it is customary to indicate the change from 
one character to the other by a change in the direction 
of attention ; that is, if Brutus is speaking toward the 
left, Cassius, who is supposed to be on that side of the 
platform, would speak, when his turn came, toward 
the right. In impersonation, as in reciting dialogues, 



158 THIRTY-NINTH LESSON. 

we do nut speak to the audience, but to the imaginary 
Brutus or Cassfus, a little to one side. In descriptive 
recitation, narrative or address, we keep the attention 
directed toward the audience, simply glancing at the 
objects or persons described, and looking back at once 
toward the audience, but sustaining the gesture, if any 
is used, until the verbal description is complete. We 
have said that an attitude of the body should always be 
sustained until the emotion prompting it is superseded 
by another emotion ; so a gesture, which, if sustained at 
all, becomes at once an attitude, is subject to the 
same law. 

Be careful to locate objects and persons at the side 
rather than directly in front, where your audience is. 
An angle of from thirty to forty-five degrees to the 
right or left is usually the most convenient one for 
descriptive purposes. 



To the Teacher :— Descriptive expression is valuable, both 
as a means of developing imagination and of giving 
command of gesture, but should not be carried too far. 
A very common fault with readers is the too frequent 
use of descriptive expression in emotional passages. The 
more ideal the poem, or the greater the strength of the 
subjective element, the further should be the expression 
from the literal. In recitation or oratory, pantomime of any 
sort should be reserved always for that which the words 
cannot fully express; otherwise it is an impertinence. Any- 
thing in voice or action that distracts the attention of the 
audience from the matter to the manner defeats the purpose 
of the speaker. There is, however, an emotional manner of 
performing a descriptive or a functional action that may 
redeem it from the appearance of artificiality, but the consid- 
eration of such delicate points of expression is out of place in 
this manual. 



DESCRIPTION. 159 

EXAMPLES OF DESCRIPTION AND SUGGESTION. 

Though rudely blows the wintry blast, * 
And sifting snows fall white and fast, 
Mark Haley drives along the street, 
Perched high upon his wagon seat : 
His sombre face the storm defies; 
And thus from morn till eve he cries — 

"Charco'! charco'!" 
While echo faint and far replies — 
"Charco' ! " — " hark O ! " — Such cheery sounds 
Attend him on his daily rounds. — Trowbridge. 

A million little diamonds twinkled on the trees ; 
A million little maidens said: " A jewel, if you please." 
But while they held their hands outstretched to catch the dia- 
monds gay, 
A million little sunbeams came and stole them all away. 

Under his slouched hat left and right 

He glanced ; the old flag met his sight. 

"Halt! " — the dust-brown ranks stood fast; 

"Fire ! " — out blazed the rifle-blast. 

It shivered the window, pane and sash, 

It rent the banner with seam and gash. 

Quick, as it fell from the broken staff, 

Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf. 

She leaned far out un the window-sill, 

And shook it forth with a royal will. — Whittier. 

I want free life and I want fresh air ; 
And I sigh for the canter after the cattle, 
The crack of the whips like shots in battle, 
The melee of horns, and hoofs, and heads, 
That wars and wrangles and scatters and spreads ; 
The green beneath and the blue above, 
And dash and danger and life and love — 
And Lasca ! — Desprez. 



] 60 THIRTY-NINTH LESSON. 

Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, 

And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows ; 

But when loud surges lash the sounding shore, 

The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar. 

— Pope. 

Collecting, projecting, receding and speeding, 
And shocking and rocking, and darting and parting, 
And threading and spreading, and whizzing and hissing, 
And dripping and skipping, and hitting and splitting, 
And shining and twining, and rattling and battling, 
And shaking and quaking, and pouring and roaring, 
And waving and raving, and tossing and crossing, 
And flowing and going, and running and stunning, 
And foaming and roaming, and dinning and spinning, 
And dropping and hopping, and working and jerking, 
And guggling and struggling, and heaving and cleaving, 
And moaning and groaning ; 

And glittering and flittering, and gathering and feathering, 
And whitening and brightening, and quivering and shivering, 
And hurrying and skurrying, and thundering and floundering; 

Eetreating and beating and meeting and sheeting, 

Delaying and straying and playing and spraying, 

Advancing and prancing and glancing and dancing, 

Recoiling, turmoiling and toiling and boiling, 

Ancl gleaming, and streaming and steaming and beaming, 

And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping, 

And curling and whirling and purling and twirling, 

And thumping and pumping and bumping and jumping, 

And dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing ; 

And so never ending, but always descending, 

Sounds and motions forever and ever are blending, 

All at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar, 

And this way the water comes down at Lodor e.— So uthey. 

Then the hangman drew near, an' the people grew still, 
Young faces turned sickly, an' warm hearts turned chill ; 



DESCRIPTION. 161 

An' the rope bein' ready, his neck was made bare 

For the gripe iv the life-strangling cord to prepare ; 

An' the good priest has left him, havin' said his last prayer. 

But the good priest done more, for his hands he unbound, 

An' with one darin' spring Jim has leaped on the ground ; 

Bang ! bang ! goes the carbines, an' clash goes the sabres ! 

He's not down ! he's alive, still ! now stand to him, neighbors ! 

Through the smoke an' the horses he's into the crowd — 

By the heavens, he's free! — than thunder more loud, 

By one shout from the people the heavens were shaken— 

One shout that the dead of the world might awaken. 

The sodgers ran this way, the sheriffs ran that, 

An' Father Malone lost his new Sunday hat ; 

To-night he'll be sleepin' in Aherloe glin, 

An' the divil's in the dice if you catch him ag'in. 

Your swords they may glitter, your carbines go bang, 

But if you want hangin', it's yourself you must hang. 

— J. S. Lefanu. 

There was all the excitement of a race about it. Chirp, chirp, 
chirp ! Cricket a mile ahead. Hum, hum, hum — m — m ! Kettle 
making play in the distance, like a great top. Chirp, chirp, 
chirp! Cricket round the corner. Hum, hum, hum — m — m! 
Kettle sticking to him in his own way; no idea of giving in. 
Chirp, chirp, chirp! Cricket fresher than ever. Hum, hum, 
hum — m — m! Kettle slow and steady. Chirp, chirp, chirp! 
Cricket going in to finish him. Hum, hum, hum — m — m ! Kettle 
not to be finished. Until at last, they got so jumbled together, 
in the hurry-scurry, helter-skelter of the match, that whether 
the Kettle chirped and the Cricket hummed, or the Cricket 
chirped and the Kettle hummed, or they both chirped and both 
hummed, it would have taken a clearer head than yours or mine 
to decide with anything like certainty.— Dickens. 

Just then I heard somebody a long way off say, ' ' Whip poor 
Will! " "Bedad! " sez I, " I'm glad it isn't Jamie that's got to 
take it, though it seems it's more in sorrow than in anger they 
are doin' it, or why should they say, ' poor Will ? ' An' sure they 
can't be Injin, haythin, or naygur, for it's plain English they're 
afther spakin'. Maybe they might help me out o' this," so I 



162 FORTIETH LESS OX. 

shouted at the top of my voice, "A lost man ! " Thin I listened. 
Prisently an answer came : 

' ' Who ? Whoo ? Whooo ? " 

'Jamie Butler, the waiver! " sez I, as loud as I could roar, an' 
snatchin' up me bundle an' stick, I started in the direction of the 
voice. — Jimmie Butler and the Owl. 

It is not growing like a tree 

In bulk, doth make man better be ; 
Or standing long an oak (three hundred year), 
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sear ; 
A lily of a day 
Is fairer far in May, 

Although it fall and die that night — 

It was the plant and flower of light. 
In small proportions Ave just beauties see; 
And in short measures life may perfect be. — Ben Jonson 

He clasps the crag with hooked hands : 
Close to the sun in lonely lands, 
Ringed with the azure world, he stands. 

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls ; 
He watches from his mountain walls, 
And like a thunderbolt he falls. 

— Tennyson, " The Eagle." 



LESSOH XL. 



Kinal Hints on. Attitudes and Bearings. 



The feet are near together in timidity and weakness ; 
they are separated in active, strong conditions. 

The knees are relaxed in submission, weakness, fear, 
horror ; they are normally firm in normal conditions ; 
they stiffen in defiance. 

The hips thrown forward indicate pomposity, arro- 



ATTITUDES AND BEARINGS. 



103 



gance, vulgarity ; drawn back they indicate humility, 
timidity. 

The chest expanded denotes strength, activity, no- 
bility of mind ; contracted, indicates weakness, either 
of soul or of body, or of both. 

The attitudes of the HMD have been fully discussed 
in previous lessons. 

The arms, in repose, fall naturally at the sides 
when standing, or in the lap when sitting. The hands 
may also be carelessly locked together in front, or 
one or both arms allowed to rest easily on the read- 
ing-desk, table, or arm of the chair. 
The arms are folded in front in concen- 
tration of thought or emotion, control 
of passion ; one or both are behind the 
back in concealment, reflection. If you 
fold the arms easily and then raise the 
forearm that is on the outside, so that 
the hand is at the lips, or the chin or £y 
side of the cheek rest upon it, you 
have another attitude of reflection or 
concentration of mind that is very 
common (Fig. 35)» Practise going into 
this attitude without the preliminary 
fold of the arms, as soon as you have fig. &5. 

acquired the correct position. 

The elbow turned out indicates arrogance, self-as- 
sertion, conceit; with the hands on the hips these 
indications are very marked and generally vulgar. 




104 FORTIETH LESSOX. 

The elbow drawn in indicates weakness, timidity, 
fear. 

The normal attitude of the hand is that which it as- 
sumes when at rest. The hand expands gently in af- 
fectionate expressions, as if to caress someone. It 
opens wide in astonishment, admiration, fear and re- 
pulsion. The fingers contract in hatred, jealous} T , and 
like passions, as if yon would like to tear the flesh of 
your antagonist. The hand is clinched firmly in con- 
centration of mind or passion, in rage. The fingers 
work spasmodically when there is an attempt to con- 
ceal strong parssions that overpower the will. 

The body is bent and passive in weakness, submis- 
sion, meanness, old age ; it is erect and active in all 
vigorous conditions of mind or body. 

Laws of Attitude. — Continued. 

111. — An attitude remains unchanged until the 
emotion that caused it is superseded or modified by 
a new emotion. 

Notice that one attitude of a particular part, for ex- 
ample, the clinched fist, often stands for quite differ- 
ent conditions. These conditions are shown by other 
parts of the body. . For instance, the clinched fist 
with the bod} r in an attitude of reflection — that is, with 
the weight on the retired foot, head bowed and thought- 
ful expression of the face— would indicate strong men- 
ial concentration, while the same fist with the body 
expressing antagonism would convey the impression 



ATTITUDES AND BEARINGS. 105 

that someone in our vicinity was in clanger of a bruised 
eye at least. 

Try to have harmony everywhere in your attitudes ; 
do not let one part of the body contradict another. 

To the Teacher: — The practice of dialogues is a very useful 
meaus of giving pupils confidence and ease before an audi- 
ence. The study of the bearings and attitudes suitable to dif- 
ferent characters in a scene or dialogue is also excellent mental 
discipline, as it cultivates the powers of observation and analy- 
sis. The few hints given above, together with previous instruc- 
tion in attitude, gesture, and facial expression, will be found to 
suggest a very wide range of expression in characterization. No 
attempt has been made in this book to cover the whole ground 
in any department of oratory. Especially is this due of pan- 
tomimic expression, a field that has been very thoroughly ex- 
plored of late years, and concerning which volumes might be 
written. If it seems, nevertheless, that an undue proportion of 
our work has been devoted to pantomime and physical prepara- 
tion for it, it should be borne in mind that the relation between 
pantomimic and vocal expression is much closer than is com- 
monly supposed, and that effective action inevitably reacts in 
favor of effective speech, and is more easily studied and 
criticised, since the theory of vocal expression, spite of all our 
gains in the last twenty years, is far from the perfection that 
pantomime has attained/ "The laws of the one apply to the olher, 
to be sure ; but their application is much more difficult in the 
department of vocal expression. Freedom of action means 
freedom of speech. 




INTRODUCTION. 



The following selections have been made for the pur- 
pose of furnishing a inure extended application of the 
principles that have been discussed in the preceding les- 
sons. Lessons I., II., and III. are all to he used in 
conjunction with Lesson III. in the Primer. From that 
point the numbers in both parts correspond. 

The intelligent teacher will at once perceive that in 
following this plan of progressive study (corresponding 
to the use of etudes in music) much that is essential to a 
proper rendition of even the simplest of the earlier selec- 
tions must necessarily he ignored ; but it is impossible to 
avoid this without confusing the beginner with techni- 
calities with which lie is yet unfamiliar. By confining 
the attention to one new point at a time, however, each 
will be made clear, while there will be a gradual accu- 
mulation of a systematized body of knowledge, and a 
corresponding assimilation of the technical requirements 
of more complex and difficult selections, as well as 
what, after all, should be the chief aim in elocutionary 
study — the worthy expression of his own ideas. To 
avoid monotony, these studies should be supplemented 
by studies of a similar grade, such as may be found in 
standard text-books of reading and recitation. 

Finally, it should never be forgotten that technique is, 
after all, but the dry bones of art, and that the proper 
rendition of even the simplest selection requires a perfect 
comprehension of the author's thought and the constant 
exercise of the student's powers of imagination. 

F. TOWNSEND SOUTIIWICK. 

(166) 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 167 

LESSOH I. 



Tine Prodigal Son. 



[Tell the story simply, being especially careful to speak to your audience, 
raising the eyes from the hook, as directed in Lesson III. At first you will 
have to take more time for this than is necessary for expression; hut con- 
sider that the heginner in any art must practise slowly until he gains 
facility, and that a perfectly natural manner of reading can be attained in 
no other way.] 

A certain man had two sons : and the younger of them said to 
his father, ' ' Father, give me the portion of thy substance that 
falleth to me." And he divided unto them his living. 

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, 
and took his journey into a far country : and there he wasted his 
substance with riotous living. 

And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in 
that country; and he began to be in want. And he went and 
joined himself to one of the citizens in that country ; and he sent 
him into his fields to feed swine. 

And he fain would have been filled with the husks that the 
swine did eat ; and no man gave unto him. But when he came 
to himself he said, ' ' How many hired servants of my father's 
have bread enough and to spare, and I perish from hunger ! I will 
arise and go to my father, and say unto him, ' Father, I have 
sinned against heaven and in thy sight : I am no more worthy to 
be called thy son • make me as one of thy hired servants. ' " 

And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet 
afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, 
and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 

And the son said unto him, ' ' Father, I have sinned against 
heaven, and in thy sight : I am no more worthy to be called thy 
son! " 

But the father said to his servants, ' ' Bring forth quickly the 
best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand and 
shoes on his feet ; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us 
eat and make merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive 
again; he was lost, and is found." And they began to be merry. 

Now his elder son was in the field : and as he came and drew 



1CS SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE, 

nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called to 
him one of the servants, and inquired wbat these things might 
be. And he said unto him, "Thy brother is come; and thy 
father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him 
safe and sound. " 

But he was angry, and would not go in : and his father came 
out and entreated. But he answered and said to his father, ' ' Lo, 
these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a 
commandment of thine: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, 
that I might make merry with my friends : but when this thy son 
came, which hath devoured thy living, thou killedst for him the 
fatted calf." 

And he said unto him, " Son, thou art ever with me, and all that 
is mine is thine. But it was meet to make merry and be glad : for 
this thy brother was dead, is alive again; was lost, and is found." 
— Neiv Testament. 



LESSOH II. 

Hamlet's Instruction to the Players. 

[Study in phrasing.] 

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you— trip- 
pingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our 
players do, I had as lief the town-crier spake my lines. Nor do 
not saw the air too much with your hand, thus; but use all 
gently: for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, 
whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a tem- 
perance, that may give it smoothness. Oh ! it offends me to the 
soul, to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to 
tatters — to very rags — to split the ears of the groundlings: who, 
for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb 
shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o'er- 
doing ter-ma-gant : * it out-herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it. 

Be not too tame, neither, but let your own discretion be your 

* Termagant, the fiend, and Herod, were evil characters in the popular 
'•miracle plays. 11 They were acted in a most boisterous manner. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 169 

tutor. Suit the action to the word ; the word to the action ; with 
this special observance — that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature : 
for anything: so overdone is from the purpose of playing ; whose 
end, both at the first and now, was, and is, to hold, as 'twere, the 
mirror up to nature ;— to show virtue her own feature ; scorn her 
own image ; and the very age and body of the time his form and 
pressure. Now this, overdone or come tardy off, though it make 
the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the 
censure of which one, must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a 
whole theatre of others. Oh ! there be players, that I have seen 
play, and heard others praise, and that highly, not to speak it 
profanely, that, neither having the accent of Christians, nor the 
gait of Christian, pagan, or man, have so strutted and bellowed, 
that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made 
men, and not made them well — they imitated humanity so abom- 
inably. — Shakespeare. 



LESSOH III. 



The Duel. 



[For avoiding "sing-song " style of delivery.] 

In Brentford town, of old renown, there lived a Mr. Bray, 
Who fell in iove with Lucy Bell, and so did Mr. Clay. 
Said Mr. Bray to Mr. Clay. "You choose to rival me, 
And court Miss Bell, but there your court no thoroughfare shall 
be. 

' ' Unless you now give up your suit, you may repent your love ; 
I, who have shot a pigeon match, can shoot a turtle dove. 
So pray, before you woo her more, consider what you do ; 
If you pop aught to Lucy Bell— I'll pop it into you." 

Said Mr. Clay to Mr. Bray : ' ' Your threats I quite explode ; 
One who has been a volunteer knows how to prime and load. 
And so I say to you, unless your passion quiet keeps, 
I, who have shot and hit bulls' eyes, may chance to hit a sheep's. " 



170 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Now gold is oft for silver changed, and that for copper red ; 
But these two went away to give each other change for lead. 
But first they sought a friend apiece, this pleasant thought to 

give- 
When they were dead, they thus should have two seconds still to 

live. 

To measure out the ground not long the seconds then forbore, 
And having taken one rash step, they took a dozen more. 
They next prepared each pistol-pan against the deadly strife, 
By putting in the prime of death against the prime of life. 

Now all was ready for the foes ; but when they took their stands, 
Fear made them tremble, so they found they both were shaking 

hands. 
Said Mr. C. to Mr. B. : " Here one of us may fall, 
And, like St. Paul's Cathedral now, be doomed to have a ball. 

" I do confess I did attach misconduct to your name ; 

If I withdraw the charge, will then your ramrod do the same ? " 

Said Mr. B. : ' ' I do agree — but think of Honor's Courts ! 

If we go off without a shot there will be strange reports. 

' ' But look, the morning now is bright, though cloudy it begun ; 
Why can't we aim above, as if we had called out the sun ? " 
So up into the harmless air their bullets they did send : 
And may all other duels have that upshot in the end ! 

— Thomas Hood. 



LESSOH IY. 

Ctiarge of trie Ligrit Brigade. 



Half a league, half a league, 
Half a league onward, 

All in the valley of death 
Rode the six hundred. 

" Forward, the Light Brigade ! 

Charge for the guns ! " he said ; 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. m 

Into the valley of death 
Eode the six hundred. 

" Forward, the Light Brigade! " 
Was there a man dismayed ? 
Not though the soldiers knew 

Someone had blundered ! 
Theirs not to make reply ; 
Theirs not to reason why ; 
Theirs but to do and die : 
Into the valley of death 

Eode the six hundred. 

Cannon to right of them, 
Cannon to left of them, 
Cannon in front of them 

Volleyed and thundered : 
Stormed at with shot and shell, 
Boldly they rode and well; 
Into the jaws of death, 
Into the mouth of hell, 

Eode the six hundred. 

Flashed all their sabres bare, 
Flashed as they turned in air, 
Sabring the gunners there, 
Charging an army, while 

All the world wondered ! 
Flanged in the battery-smoke, 
Eight through the line they broke : 
Cossack and Russian 
Eeeled from the sabre-stroke, 

Shattered and sundered. 
Then they rode back ; but not— 

Not the six hundred. 

Cannon to right of them, 
Cannon to left of them, 
Cannon behind them 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Volleyed and thundered : 
Stormed at with shot and shell, 
While horse and hero fell, 
They that had fought so well 
Came through the jaws of death 
Back from the mouth of hell, 
ill that was left of them— 
Left of six hundred. 

When can their glory fade ? 
Oh, the wild charge they made ! 

All the world wondered. 
Honor the charge they made ! 
Honor the Light Brigade — 

Noble six hundred ! — Tennyson. 



LESSOH Y. 



Tine Discontented Pendulum. 



[Study in phrasing and emphasis.] 

An old clock, that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's 
kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early 
one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly 
stopped. Upon this, the dial-plate (if we may credit the fable) 
changed countenance with alarm ; the hands made a vain effort 
to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with 
surprise ; the weights hung speechless ; each member felt disposed 
to lay the blame on the others. At length the dial instituted a 
formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation ; when hands, 
wheels, weights, with one voice protested their innocence. 

But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who 
thus spoke : "I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present 
stoppage ; and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign 
my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking. " Upon 
hearing this, the old clock became so enraged that it was on the 
very point of striking. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 173 

"Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial-plate, holding up its hands. 

' ' Very good ! " replied the pendulum, " it is vastly easy for you, 
Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself 
up above me — it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other 
people of laziness ! — you, who have had nothing to do all the days 
of your life but to stare people in the face, and to amuse your- 
self with watching all that goes on in the kitchen ! Think, I 
beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this 
dark closet, and to wag backward and forward, year after year, 
as I do." 

"As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your 
house on purpose for you to look through?" " For all that," 
resumed the pendulum, "it is very dark here; and, although 
there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look 
out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life ; and, if 
you wish, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. 
I happened this morning to be calculating how many times I 
should have to tick in the course of only the next twenty-four 
hours ; perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact 
sum." 

The minute-hand, being quick at figures, presently replied: 
" Eighty -six thousand, four hundred times." 

"Exactly so," replied the pendulum; "well, I appeal to you 
all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; 
and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day by those of 
months and years, really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at 
the prospect ; and so, after a great deal of reasoning and hesita- 
tion, thinks I to myself I'll stop." 

The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this ha- 
rangue ; but, resuming its gravity, thus replied : ' ' Dear Mr. 
Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious 
person as yourself should have been overcome by this sudden 
inaction. It is true you have done a great deal of work in your 
time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it 
may fatigue us to think of, the question is, whether it will fatigue 
us to do. Would you now do me the favor to give about half a 
dozen strokes, to illustrate my argument ? " 

The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace. 



174 SELECTIONS FOB PRACTICE. 

"Now," resumed the dial, "may I be allowed to inquire if that 
exertion was at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you ?" "Not in 
the least," replied the pendulum ; " it is not of six strokes that I 
complain, nor of sixty, but of millions." " Very good, " replied 
the dial ; ' ' but recollect, that though you may think of a million 
strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and 
that, however often you may hereafter have to swing, a moment 
will always be given you to swing in. " 

"That consideration staggers me, I confess," said tlie pen- 
dulum. 

" Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, " we shall all immedi 
ately return to our duty ; for the maids will lie in bed if we stand 
idling thus." 

Upon this, the weights, who had never been accused of light 
conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed; when, 
as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began 
to move, the pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit, ticked 
as loud as ever ; while a red beam of the rising sun, that streamed 
through a hole in the kitchen, shining full upon the dial -plate, it 
brightened up, as if nothing had been the matter. 

When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon 
looking at the clock, he declared that his watch had gained half 
an hour in the night. — Jane Taylor. 



LESSOH YI. 



'Prie Wind and trie IVloon. 



[Study of the animated, colloquial manner and varied methods of emphasis.] 
Said the Wind to the Moon, "I will blow you out; 
You stare 
In the air 
Like a ghost in a chair,* 

* Phrase this carefully to avoid monotony of melody. " You stare | in the 
air \ like a ghost | in a chair." So also similar passages in the other stanzas. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 175 

Always looking what I am about — 

I hate to be watched; I'll blow you out."* 

The Wind blew hard, and out went the Moon. 

So, deep 

On a heap 

Of clouds to sleep, 
Down lay the Wind, and slumbered soon, 
Muttering low, "I've done for that Moon." 

He turned in his bed ; she was there again ! 

On high 

In the sky, 

With her one ghost eye, 
The Moon shone white and alive and plain. 
Said the Wind, "I will blow you out again." 

The Wind blew hard, and the Moon grew dim. 
"With my sledge, 
And my wedge, 
I have knocked off her edge ! 
If only I blow right fierce and grim, 
The creature will soon be dimmer than dim." 

He blew and he blew, and she thinned to a thread. 

' ' One puff 

Mores enough 

To blow her to snuff! 
One good puff more where the last was bred, 
And glimmer, glimmer, glum will go the thread." 

He blew a great blast, and the thread was gone. 

In the air 

Nowhere 

Was a moonbeam bare ; 
Far off and harmless the shy stars shone — 
Sure and certain the Moon was gone ! 

*Notice that here and whenever the Wind speaks we should have a bluster- 
ing, explosive emphasis. Why ? 



176 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

The Wind he took to his revels once more ; 

On down, 

In town, 

Like a merry-mad clown, 
He leaped and hallooed with whistle and roar — 
' ' What's that ? " The glimmering thread once more ! 

He flew in a rage — he danced and blew ; 

But in vain 

Was the pain 

Of his bursting brain ; 
For still the broader the Moon-scrap grew, 
The broader he swelled his big cheeks and blew. 

Slowly she grew — till she filled the night, 

And shone 

On her throne 

In the sky alone, 
A matchless, wonderful, silvery light, 
Radiant and lovely, the queen of the night. 

Said the Wind : ' ' What a marvel of power am I ! 

With my breath, 

Good faith, 

I blew her to death — 
First blew her away right out of the sky — 
Then blew her in ; what strength have I ! " 

But the Moon she knew nothing about the affair ; 

For high 

In the sky, 

With her one white eye,* 
Motionless, miles above the air, 
She had never heard the great Wind blare. 

— George Macdonald. 

♦Contrast by your manner of speaking the calm Moon with the noisy 
Wind. . 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 177 

LESSOR ¥"11. 



Dedication of Gettysburg Cemetery. 



[Studies in oratorical address. Speak as if to a large audience but without 
departing from the melody of conversation.] 

Forescore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon 
this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to 
the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are en- 
gaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation — or any 
nation so conceived and so dedicated — can long endure. 

We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We are met to 
dedicate a portion of it as the final resting-place of those who 
have given their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether 
fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot conse- 
crate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living 
and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our 
power to add or to detract. The world will very little note nor 
long remember what we say here ; but it can never forget what 
they did here. 

It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the un- 
finished work they have thus far so nobly carried on. It is 
rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining be- 
fore us ; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion 
to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of 
devotion ; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not 
have died in vain ; that the nation shall, under God, have a new 
birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the 
people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

— Abraham Lincoln. 



178 SELECTIONS FUR PRACTICE. 

LESSON YIL— Continued. 



Brutus on the Death of Caesar. 

[Study in contrasted inflections and emphasis.] 

Romans, countrymen, and lovers ! hear me for my cause ; and 
be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor ; and 
have respect to mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me 
in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the 
better judge. If there be any in this assembly — any dear friend 
of Caesar's, — to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar was not less 
than his. If, then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against 
Caesar, this is my answer : Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I 
loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die 
all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen? As 
Caesar loved me, I weep for him ; as he was fortunate, I rejoice 
at it ; as he was valiant, I honor him ; but as he was ambitious, I 
slew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor 
for his valor, and death for his ambition. 

Who is here so base, that would be a bondman ? If any, speak ; 
for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not 
be a Roman ? If any, speak ; for him have I offended. Who is 
here so vile, that will not love his country ? If any, speak ; for 
him have I offended. I pause for a reply. 

None ? Then none have I offended. I have done no more to 
Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is 
enrolled in the Capitol ; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was 
worthy ; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death. 

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though 
he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying 
— a place in the commonwealth, — as which of you shall not? 
With this I depart : That, as I slew my best lover for the good of 
Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please 
my country to need my death. — Shakespeare. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 179 

LESSOH YIII. 

The Star- Spangled Banner. 

say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ; 
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? 
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ; 
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ? 

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, 
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, 

What is that which the breeze o'er the towering steep, 
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses ? 

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam ; 

Its full glory, reflected, now shines on the stream ; 

'Tis the star-spangled banner, oh, long may it wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

And where is the band who so vauntingly swore, 

'Mid the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, 
A home and a country they'd leave us no more ? 

Their blood hath washed out their foul footsteps' pollution, 
No refuge could save the hireling and slave 
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave ; 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

Oh ! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand 

Between our loved home and the war's desolation ; 
Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land 

Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation \ 
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, 
And this be our motto, ' ' Ix God is our trust ; " 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

— Francis Scott Key. 



180 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

LESSOH IX. 



The Origin of Roast Pig. 



Mankind, says a Chinese manuscript, for the first seventy 
thousand ages ate their meat raw, clawing or biting it from the 
living animal, just as they do in Abyssinia to this day. The 
manuscript goes on to say that the art of roasting, or rather 
broiling (which I take to be the elder brother), was accidentally 
discovered in the manner following: The swineherd, Ho-ti, having 
gone out into the woods one morning, left his cottage in the care 
of his eldest son, Bo-bo, a great, lubberly boy, who, being fond of 
playing with fire, let some sparks escape into a bundle of straw, 
which, kindling quickly, spread the conflagration over every part 
of their poor mansion, till it was reduced to ashes. Together 
with the cottage, a fine litter of new-farrowed pigs, no less than 
nine in number, perished. Bo-bo was in the utmost consternation, 
as you may think, not so much for the sake of the tenement, 
which his father and he could easily build up again with a few 
dry branches, and the labor of an hour or two, at any time, as 
for the loss of the pigs. While he was thinking what he should 
say to his father, and wringing his hands over the smoking rem- 
nants of one of those untimely sufferers, an odor assailed his 
nostrils, unlike any scent which he had before experienced. What 
could it proceed from ? Not from the burned cottage — he had 
smelt that smell before — indeed, this was by no means the first 
accident of the kind which had occurred through the negligence 
of this unlucky young fire-brand. Much less did it resemble that 
of any known herb, weed, or flower. He knew not what to think. 
He next stooped down to feel the pig, if there were any signs of 
life in it. He burned his fingers, and to cool them he applied 
them in his booby fashion to his mouth. Some of the crumbs of 
the scorched skin had come away with his fingers, and for the 
first time in his life (in the world's life, indeed, for before 
him no man had known it) he tasted crackling \ Again he 
felt and fumbled at the pig. It did not burn him so much 
now, still he licked his fingers from a sort of habit. The 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 181 

truth at length broke into his slow understanding that it was the 
pig that smelt so, and the pig that tasted so delicious ; and sur- 
rendering himself up to the new-born pleasure, he fell to tearing 
up whole handf uls of the scorched skin with the flesh next it, and 
was cramming it down his throat in his beastly fashion, when his 
sire entered amid the smoking rafters, and finding how affairs 
stood, began to rain blows upon the young rogue's shoulders, as 
thick as hailstones, which Bo-bo heeded not any more than if 
they had been flies. His father might lay on, but he could not 
beat him from his pig, till he had fairly made an end of it, when, 
becoming a little more sensible of his situation, something like 
the following dialogue ensued : 

'You graceless whelp, what have you got there devouring? Is 
it not enough that you have burned me down three houses with 
your dog's tricks, and be hanged to you ! but you must be eating 
fire, and I know not what — what have you got there, I say ? " 

" O father, the pig, the pig! do come and taste how nice the 
burnt pig eats ! " 

The ears of Ho-ti tingled with horror. He cursed his son, and 
he cursed himself that ever he should beget a son that should eat 
burnt pig. 

Bo-bo, whose scent was wonderfully sharpened since morning, 
soon raked out another pig, and fairly rending it asunder, thrust 
the lesser half by main force into the fists of Ho-ti, still shouting 
out, "Eat, eat, eat the burnt pig, father, only taste — O Lord!" — 
with such-like barbarous ejaculations, cramming all the while as 
if he would choke. 

Ho-ti trembled in every joint while he grasped the abominable 
thing, wavering whether he should not put his son to death for 
an unnatural young monster, when the crackling scorching his 
fingers, as it had done his son's, and applying the same remedy 
to them, he in his turn tasted some of its flavor, which, make 
what sour mouths he would for pretense, proved not altogether 
displeasing to him. In conclusion (for the manuscript here is a 
little tedious) both father and son fairly set down to the mess, 
and never left off till they had dispatched all that remained of 
the litter. 

Bo-bo was strictly enjoined not to let the secret escape, for the 



182 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

neighbors would certainly have stoned them for a couple of 
abominable wretches, who could think of improving upon the 
good meat which God had sent them. Nevertheless, strange 
stories got about. It was observed that Ho-ti's cottage was burnt 
down now more frequently than ever. Nothing but fires from 
this time forward. Some would break out in broad day, others 
in the night-time. As often as the sow farrowed, so sure was the 
house of Ho-ti to be in blaze; and Ho-ti himself, which was the 
more remarkable, instead of chastising his son, seemed to grow 
more indulgent to him than ever. At length they were watched, 
the terrible mystery discovered, and father and son summoned to 
take their trial at Pekin . Evidence was given, the obnoxious 
food itself produced in court, and verdict about to be pronounced, 
when the foreman of the jury begged that some of the burnt pig, 
of which the culprits stood accused, might be handed into the 
box. He handled it, and they all handled it ; and burning their 
fingers, as Bo-bo and his father had done before them, and 
nature prompting to each of them the same remedy, against the 
face of all the facts, and the clearest charge which judge had 
ever given — to the surprise of the whole court, townsfolk, 
strangers, reporters, and all present — without leaving the box, 
or any manner of consultation whatever, they brought in a 
simultaneous verdict of "not guilty." 

The judge, who was a shrewd fellow, winked at the manifest 
iniquity of the decision; and when the court was dismissed, went 
privily, and bought up all the pigs that could be had for love or 
money. In a few days his lordship's town-house was observed 
to be on fire. The thing took wing, and now there was nothing 
to be seen but fire in every direction. Fuel and pigs grew enor- 
mously dear all over the district. Thus this custom of firing 
houses continued, till in process of time, says my manuscript, a 
sage arose, who made a discovery, that the flesh of swine, or, 
indeed, of any other animal, might be cooked (burnt as they 
called it) without the necessity of consuming a whole house to 
dress it. Then first began the rude form of a gridiron. Roasting 
by the string or spit came in a century or two later, I forget in 
whose dynasty. By such slow degrees, concludes the manuscript, 
do the most useful, and seemingly the most obvious arts, make 
their way among mankind. — Charles Lamb. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 183 

LESSOH X. 



Langley Lane. 



[A charming study for purity of tone.] 
In all the land, range up, range down, 

Is there ever a place so pleasant and sweet 
As Langley Lane in London town, 

Just out of the bustle of square and street ? 
Little white cottages, all in a row, 
Gardens where bachelor's-buttons grow, 

Swallows' nests in roof and wall, 
And up above the still blue sky 
Where the woolly white clouds go sailing by — 

I seem to be able to see it all ! 

For now, in summer, I take my chair, 

And sit outside in the sun, and hear 
The distant murmur of street and square, 

And the swallows and sparrows chirping near , 
And Fanny, who lives just over the way, 
Comes running many a time each day, 

With her little hand's touch so warm and kind ; 
And I smile and talk, with the sun on my cheek, 
And the little live kand seems to stir and speak,— 

For Fanny is dumb, and I am blind. 

Fanny is sweet thirteen, and she 

Has fine black ringlets and dark eyes clear ; 
And I am older by summers three. 

Why should we hold one another so dear ? 
Because she cannot utter a word. 
Nor hear the music of bee or bird, 

The water-cart's splash or the milkman's call: 
Because I have never seen the sky, 
Nor the little singers that hum and fly, 

Yet know that she is gazing upon them all. 



184 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

For the sun is shining, the swallows fly, 

The bees and the blue- flies murmur low; 
And I hear the water-cart go by, 

With its cool splash -splash, down the dusty row; 
And the little one close at my side perceives 
Mine eyes upraised to the cottage eaves, 

Where birds are chirping in summer shine, 
And I hear, though I cannot look ; and she, 
Though she cannot hear, can the singers see, — 

And the little soft fingers flutter in mine ! 

Hath not the dear little hand a tongue, 

When it stirs on my palm for the love of me ? 
Do I not know she is pretty and young ? 

Hath not my soul an eye to see ? 
'Tis pleasure to make one's bosom stir, 
To wonder how things appear to her, 

That I only hear as they pass around ; 
And as long as we sit in the music and light, 
She is happy to keep God's sight, 

And I am happy to keep God's sound. 

Though if ever the Lord should grant me a prayer, 

(I know the fancy is only vain) 
I should pray just once, when the weather is fair, 

To see little Fanny, and Langley Lane ; 
Though Fanny, perhaps, would pray to hear 
The voice of the friend that she holds so dear, 

The song of the birds, the hum of the street, — 
It is better to be as we have been, 
Each keeping up something unheard, unseen, 

To make God's heaven more strange and sweet. 

Ah, life is pleasant in Langley Lane ! 

There is always something sweet to hear, — 
Chirping of birds, or patter of rain, 

And Fanny, my little one, always near. 
And though I am weakly and can't live long, 
And Fanny, my darling, is far from strong, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 185 

And though we can never married be, 
What then, since we hold one another so dear 
For the sake of the pleasure one cannot hear, 

And the pleasure that only one can see ? 

— Robert Buchanan. 



LESSOR XI. 



Adams and. Jefferson. 



[Practise slowly, especially for distinct enunciation.] 
Adams and Jefferson, I have said, are no more. As human 
beings, indeed, they are no more. But how little is there of the 
great and good which can die ! To their country they yet live, 
and live forever. They live in their example ; and they live em- 
phatically, and will live in the influence which their lives and 
efforts, their principles and opinions, now exercise, and will con- 
tinue to exercise, on the affairs of men, not only in their own 
country, but throughout the civilized world. 

A superior and commanding human intellect, a truly great man 
— when Heaven vouchsafes so rare a gift, — is not a temporary 
flame, burnir.g bright for a while, and then expiring, giving place 
to returning darkness. It is rather a spark of fervent heat, as 
well as radiant light, with power to enkindle the common mass 
of human mind ; so that, when it glimmers in its own decay, and 
finally goes out in death, no night follows, but it leaves the world 
all, all on fire, from the potent contact of its own spirit. 

No two men now live — perhaps it may be doubted whether 
any two men have ever lived in one age — who, more than those 
we now commemorate, have impressed their own sentiments, in 
regard to politics and government, on mankind; infused their 
own opinions more deeply into the opinions of others ; or given 
a more lasting direction to the current of human thought. Their 
work doth not perish with them. The tree which they assisted to 
plant will flourish, although they water it and protect it no longer: 
for it has struck its roots deep ; it has sent them to the very cen- 



186 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

tre ; no storm, not of force to burst the orb, can overturn it ; its 
branches spread wide ; they stretch their protecting arms broader 
and broader, and its top is destined to reach the heavens. 

We are not deceived. There is no delusion here. No age will 
come, in which the American revolution will appear less than ic 
is, — one of the greatest events in human historj^. No age will 
come, in which it will cease to be seen and felt, on either conti- 
nent, that a mighty step, a great advance, not only in American 
affairs, but in human affairs, was made on the 4th of July, 1776. 
And no age will come, we trust, so ignorant, or so unjust, as not 
to see and acknowledge the efficient agency of these we now 
honor, in producing that momentous event. — Daniel Webster. 



LESSOH XII. 



Trie Pox at the Point of Death. 



[Read the old Fox's words with the whole body relaxed. Notice the effect 
of relaxation on the voice.] 

A Fox, in life's extreme decay, 
Weak, sick, faint, expiring lay. 
All appetite had left his maw, 
And age disarmed his mumbling jaw. 
His numerous race around him stand, 
To learn their dying sire's command. 
He raised his head with whining moan, 
And thus was heard the feeble tone : 
" Ah, sons, from evil ways depart; 
My crimes lie heavy on my heart. 
See ! see ! the murdered geese appear ! 
Why are those bleeding turkeys there ? 
Why all around this cackling train 
Who haunt my ears for chickens slain ? " 
The hungry foxes round them stared, 
And for the promised feast prepared. 
" Where, sir, where all this dainty cheer ? 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 187 

Nor turkey, goose, nor hen is here. 

These are the phantoms of your brain, 

And your sons lick their lips in vain." 

" O gluttons! " says the drooping sire, 

' ' Restrain inordinate desire. 

Your licorish taste you shall deplore 

When peace of conscience is no more. 

Would you true happiness attain, 

Let honesty your passions rein ; 

So live in credit and esteem, 

And the good name you lost redeem." 

" The counsel's good," a fox replies, 

' ' Could we perform what you advise. 

Think what our ancestors have done — 

A line of thieves from son to son. 

Though we like harmless sheep should feed, 

Honest in thought, in word, in deed, 

Whatever hen-roost is decreased, 

We shall be thought to share the feast. 

The change shall never be believed : 

A lost good name is ne'er retrieved." 

"Nay, then," replies the feeble Fox — 

" But hark! I hear a hen that clocks! 

Go ; but be moderate in your food — 

A chicken, too, might do me good."— John Gay. 



LESSOR XIII. 



Tine Leper. 

[Try in this selection to read the pathetic portions with tender sympathy, 
but avoiding a whining tone. J 

Day was breaking. 
When at the altar of the temple stood 
The holy priest of God. The incense lamp 
Burned with a struggling light, and a low chant 
Swelled through the hollow arches of the roof, 



188 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Like an articulate wail ; and there, alone, 
Wasted to ghastly thinness, Helon knelt, 
Waiting to hear his doom : 

' ' Depart ! depart, O child 
Of Israel, from the temple of thy God ! 
For He has smote thee with His chastening rod, 

And to the desert wild, 
From all thou lov'st, away thy feet must flee, 
That from thy plague His people may be free." 

And he went forth alone. Not one of all 
The many whom he loved, nor she whose name 
Was woven in the fibres of the heart 
Breaking within him now, to come and speak 
Comfort unto him. Yea, he went his way — 
Sick and heart-broken, and alone — to die! 
For God had cursed the leper. 

It was noon, 
And Helon knelt beside a stagnant pool 
In the lone wilderness, and bathed his brow, 
Hot with the burning leprosy, and touched 
The loathsome water to His fevered lips, 
Praying he might be so blest — to die ! 
Footsteps approached, and with no strength to flee, 
He drew the covering closer on his lip, 
Crying ' ' Unclean ! unclean ! " and in the folds 
Of the coarse sackcloth shrouding up his face, 
He fell upon the earth till they should pass. 
Nearer the stranger came, and bending o'er 
The leper's prostrate form, pronounced his name, 
" Helon ! " The voice was like the master-tone 
Of a rich instrument— most strangely sweet ; 
And the dull pulses of disease awoke, 
And for a moment beat beneath the hot 
And leprous scales with a restoring thrill. 
" Helon, arise ! " And he forgot his curse, 
And rose and stood before him. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 189 

Love and awe 
Mingled in the regard of Helon's eye, 
As he beheld the stranger. He was not 
In costly raiment clad, nor on his brow 
The symbol of a lofty lineage wore ; 
No followers at his back, nor in his hand 
Buckler, or sword, or spear ; yet in his mien 
Command sat throned serene, and if he smiled, 
A kingly condescension graced his lips, 
The lion would have crouched to in his lair. 
He looked on Helon earnestly awhile, 
As if his heart was moved; and, stooping down, 
He took a little water in his hand 
And laid it on his brow, and said, ' ' Be clean ! " 
And lo ! the scales fell from him, and his blood 
Coursed with delicious coolness through his veins, 
And his dry palms grew moist, and on his brow 
The dewy softness of an infant's stole. 
His leprosj^ was cleansed, and he fell down 
Prostrate at Jesus' feet, and worshipped him. 

— N. P. Willis. 



LESSOK XIY. 



Echo and trie Kerry. 

[Study in melody, major and minor inflection.] 
Ay, Oliver ! I was but seven, and he was eleven ; 
He looked at me pouting and rosy. I blushed where I stood. 
They had told us to play in the orchard (and I only seven, 
A small guest at the farm) ; but he said, ' 'Oh ! a girl was no good !" 
So he whistled and went, he went over the stile to the wood. 
It was sad, it was sorrowful! Only a girl — only seven ! 
At home in the dark London smoke I had not found it out. 
The pear-trees looked on in their white, and bluebirds flashed 
about 



100 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

And they, too, were angry as Oliver. Were they eleven ? 

] thought so. Yes, everyone else was eleven — eleven. 

So Oliver went, but the cowslips were tall at my feet, 

And all the white orchard with fast-falling blossom was littered ; 

And under and over the branches those little birds twittered, 

While hanging head downward they scolded because I was seven. 

A pity — a very great pity. One should be eleven. 

But soon I was happy, the smell of the world was so sweet, 
And I saw a round hole in an apple-tree rosy and old. 
Then I knew, for I peeped, and I found it was right they should 

scold. 
Eggs small and eggs many. For gladness I broke into laughter ; 
And then someone else— oh ! how softly — came after, came after 
With laughter— with laughter came after. 
And no one was near us to utter that sweet, mocking call, 
That soon very tired sank low with a mystical fall. 
But this was the country, perhaps it was close under heaven ; 
Oh! nothing so likely; the voice might have come from it even. 

But at last — in a day or two namely — Eleven and I 
Were very fast friends, and to him I confided the wonder. 
He said that was Echo. "Was Echo a wise kind of bee 
That had learned how to laugh ? Could it laugh in one's ear and 

then fly, 
And laugh again yonder ?" " No ; Echo"— he whispered it low— 
' ' Was a woman, they said, but a woman whom no one could see 
And no one could find ; and he did not believe it, not he ; 
But he could not get near for the river that held us asunder. 
Yet I that had money — a shilling, a whole silver shilling — 
We might cross if I thought I would spend it." " Oh, yes, I was 

willing " — 
And we ran hand in hand, we ran down to the ferry, the ferry, 
And we heard how she mocked at the folk with a voice clear and 

merry 
When they called for the ferry ; but, oh ! she was very — was very 
Swift footed. She spoke and was gone; and when Oliver cried, 
"Hie over! hie over! you man of the ferry — the ferry ! " 
By the still water's side she was heard far and wide — she replied, 
And she mocked in her voice sweet and merry, ' 'You man of the 

ferry, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 191 

You man of — you man of the ferry ! " 

"Hie over! " he shouted. The ferryman came at his calling; 

Across the clear reed bordered river he ferried us fast. 

Such a chase ! Hand in hand, foot to foot, we ran on ; it sur- 
passed 

All measure her doubling, so close, then so far away falling, 

Then gone, and no more. 

We sought in the wood, and we found the wood- wren in her 
stead ; 

In the field, and we found but the cuckoo that talked overhead ; 

By the brook, and we found the reed-sparrow deep-nested, in 
brown ; 

Not Echo, fair Echo — for Echo, sweet Echo was flown. 

— Arranged from Jean Ingelow. 



LESSOH XV. 



Incident of the French Camp. 



[This selection, though perhaps too difficult for young readers, is an 
excellent subject for analysis for phrasing and emphasis.] 

You know we French stormed Ratisbon : 

A mile or so away, 
On a little mound, Napoleon 

Stood on our storming-day ; 
With neck out -thrust, you fancy how, 

Legs wide, arms locked behind, 
As if to balance the prone brow, 

Oppressive with its mind. 

Just as perhaps he mused, ' ' My plans 

That soar, to earth may fall, 
Let once my army-leader Lannes 

Waver at yonder wall, " — * 

* From the beginning of this stanza to the word "•wall," we have an 
example of subordination which should be carefully studied. Notice that in 
poetry the order of words and phrases may be transposed from that of 
prose, as is frequently done in this example. It is good practice to rewrite 
such passages in prose form. 



192 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Out 'twixt the battery -smokes there flew 

A rider, bound on bound 
Full galloping ; nor bridle drew 

Until he reached the mound. 

Then off there flung in smiling joy, 

And held himself erect 
By just his horse's mane, a boy: 

You hardly could suspect, 
(So tight he kept his lips compressed, 

Scarce any blood came through) 
You looked twice ere you saw his breast 

Was all but shot in two. 

"Well," cried he, "Emperor, by God's grace 

We've got you Ratisbon ! 
The marshal's in the market-place, 

And you'll be there anon 
To see your flag-bird flap his vans 

Where I, to heart's desire, 
Perched him ! " The chief's eye flashed ; his plans 

Soared up again like fire. 

The chief's eye flashed ; but presently 

Softened itself, as sheathes 
A film the mother-eagle's eye 

When her bruised eaglet breathes : 
' ' You're wounded ! " " Nay, " his soldier's pride 

Touched to the quick, he said : 
" I'm killed, sire!" And, his chief beside, 

Smiling, the boy fell dead. — Robert Browning. 



LESSOH XVI. 



Sympathy xvitti tine Greeks. 



[Study for range and sustained power.] 
And has it come to this ? Are we so humbled, so low, so de- 
based, that we dare not express our sympathy for suffering Greece, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 193 

— that we dare not articulate our detestation of the brutal ex- 
cesses of which she has been the bleeding victim, lest we might 
offend some one or more of their imperial and royal majesties ? 
If gentlemen are afraid to act rashly on such a subject, suppose, 
Mr. Chairman, that we unite in a humble petition, addressed to 
their majesties, beseeching them, that of their gracious conde- 
scension, they would allow us to express our feelings and our 
sympathies. 

How shall it run? "We, the representatives of the free people 
of the United States of America, humbly approach the thrones of 
your imperial and royal majesties, and supplicate that, of your 
imperial and royal clemency," — I cannot go through the disgust- 
ing recital ! My lips have not yet learned to pronounce the syco- 
phantic language of a degraded slave ! 

Are we so mean, so base, so despicable, that we may not attempt 
to express our horror, utter our indignation, at the most brutal 
and atrocious war that ever stained earth or shocked high Heaven ; 
at the ferocious deeds of a savage and infuriated soldiery, stimu- 
lated and urged on by the clergy of a fanatical and inimical 
religion, and rioting in all the excesses of blood and butchery, at 
the mere details of which the heart sickens and recoils ? 

If the great body of Christendom can look on calmly and coolly 
whilst all this is perpetrated on a Christian people, in its own im- 
mediate vicinity, in its very presence, let us at least evince that 
one of its remote extremities is susceptible of sensibility to Chris- 
tian wrongs, and capable of sympathy for Christian sufferings ; 
that in this remote quarter of the world there are hearts not yet 
closed against compassion for human woes, that can pour out 
their indignant feelings at the oppression of a people endeared to 
us by every ancient recollection and every modern tie. 

Sir, an attempt has been made to alarm the committee by the 
dangers to our commerce in the Mediterranean ; and a wretched 
invoice of figs and opium has been spread before us to repress our 
sensibilities and to eradicate our humanity. Ah! sir, "what shall 
it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own 
soul?" — or what shall it avail a nation to save the whole of a 
miserable trade, and lose its liberties ? — Henry Clay. 



104 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

LESSOH XVII. 

Reading for trie Thought. 



[Especially valuable for analysis.] 

When you come to a good book, you must ask yourself, " Am 
I inclined to work as an Australian miner would ? Are my pick- 
axes and shovels in good order, and am I in good trim myself — 
my sleeves well up to the elbows, and my breath good, and my 
temper ?" And, keeping the figure a little longer, even at the cost 
of tiresomeness, for it is a thoroughly useful one, the metal you 
are in search of being the author's mind or meaning, his words 
are as the rock which you have to crush and smelt in order to get 
at it. And your pickaxes are your own care, wit, and learning ; 
your smelting-f urnace is your own thoughtful soul. Do not hope 
to get at any good author's meaning without those tools and that 
fire. Often you will need sharpest, finest chiselling and pa- 
tientest fusing before you can gather one grain of the metal. 

And, therefore, first of all, I tell you earnestly and authorita- 
tively (I know I am right in this), you must get into the habit of 
looking intensely at words, and assuring yourself of their mean- 
ing, syllable by syllable — nay, letter by letter. For, though it is 
only by reason of the opposition of letters in the function of signs 
to sounds, in the function of signs that the study of books is called 
"literature," and that a man versed in it is called, by the consent 
of nations, a man of letters, instead of a man of books or of 
words, you may yet connect with that accidental nomenclature 
this real fact — that you might read all the books in the British 
Museum (if you could live long enough) and remain an utterly 
illiterate, uneducated person ; but that if you read ten pages of a 
good book letter by letter, that is to say, with real accuracy, you 
are forevermore in some measure an educated person. The entire 
difference between education and non-education (as regards the 
merely intellectual part of it) consists in this accuracy. A well- 
educated gentleman may not know many languages, may not be 
able to speak any but his own, may have read very few books. 
But whatever language he knows, he knows precisely ; whatever 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 195 

word he pronounces, he pronounces rightly. Above all, he is 
learned in the peerage of words, knows the words of true descent 
and ancient blood, at a glance, from words of modern canaille ; 
remembers all their ancestry, their intermarriages, distant rela- 
tionships, and the extent to which they were admitted, and offices 
they held among the national noblesse of words at any time and 
in any country. But an uneducated person may know, by 
memory, many languages, and talk them all, and yet truly know 
not a word of any — not a word even of his own. An ordinarily 
clever and sensible seaman will be able to make his way ashore 
at most ports; yet he has only to speak a sentence of any Ian 
guage to be known for an illiterate person. So also the accent, 
or turn of expression of a single sentence, will at once mark a 
scholar. And this is so strongly felt, so conclusively admitted, 
by educated persons, that a false accent or a mistaken syllable 
is enough, in the parliament of any civilized nation, to assign 
to a man a certain degree of inferior standing forever. — John 
Buskin. 



LESSOR XVIII. 



Portia's Speech 011 Mercy. 

[Study in analysis for emphasis. In the delivery, have enthusiasm and 
reverence; endeavor to persuade, rather than to teach.] 

The quality of mercy is not strained ; 

It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven, 

Upon the place beneath ; it is twice blessed — 

It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes. 

Tis mightiest in the mightiest : it becomes 

The throned monarch better than his crown ; 

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, 

The attribute to awe and majesty, 

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings ; 

But mercy is above this sceptred sway, 

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, 



196 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

It is an attribute to God himself ; 

And earthly power doth then show likest God's 

When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, 

Though justice be thy plea, consider this— 

That, in the course of justice, none of us 

Should see salvation : we do pray for mercy ; 

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render 

The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much 

To mitigate the justice of thy plea; 

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice 

Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there. 

— Sh akespeare. 



LESSOK XIX. 



Tine Bells of Shandon. 



[One of the most musical poems in our language, and an excellent study 
for the voice. Do not degrade it into a piece of imitation. This is reflective, 
not didactic. Emphasize the feelings of love and admiration, rather than 



the facts.] 



With deep affection 

And recollection, 
I often think of those Shandon bells, 

Whose sound so wild would, 

In the days of childhood, 
Fling round my cradle their magic spells. 

On this I ponder 

Where'er I wander, 
And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee,- 

With thy bells of Shandon, 

That sound so grand, on 
The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

I've heard bells chiming 
Full many a clime in, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 197 

Tolling sublime in cathedral shrine ; 

While at a glib rate, 

Brass tongues would vibrate ; 
But all their music spoke naught like thine. 

For memory, dwelling 

On each proud swelling 
Of thy belfry, knelling its bold notes free, 

Made the bells of Shandon 

Sound far more grand, on 
The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

I've heard bells tolling 

Old Adrian's Mole in, 
Their thunder rolling from the Vatican ; 

And cymbals glorious 

Swinging uproarious 
In the gorgeous turret of Notre Dame ; 

But thy sounds were sweeter 

Than the dome of Peter 
Flings o'er the Tiber, pealing solemnly. 

Oh, the bells of Shandon 

Sound far more grand, on 
The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

There's a bell in Moscow ; 

While on tower and kiosk — O — 
In Saint Sophia the Turkman gets, 

And loud in air 

Calls men to prayer, 
From the tapering summits of tall minarets. 

Such empty phantom 

I freely grant them ; 
But there's an anthem more dear to me: 

'Tis the bells of Shandon, 

That sound so grand, on 
The pleasant waters of the river Lee. 

—Francis Malioney. 



108 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

LESSOH XX. 



Ttie Battle of Naseby/ 



By Obadiah Bind-their-kings-in-chains-and-their-nobles-with- 
links-of-iron, sergeant in ireton's regiment. 

[Study of variety of expression in the torso, and excited breathing.! 
Oh, wherefore come ye forth, in triumph from the North, 

With your hands, and your feet, and your raiment all red ? 
And wherefore doth your rout send forth a joyous shout ? 

And whence be the grapes of the wine-press which ye tread ? 

Oh, evil was the root, and bitter was the fruit, 
And crimson was the juice of the vintage that we trod; 

For we trampled on the throng of the haughty and the strong, 
Who sat in the high places, and slew the saints of God. 

It was about the noon of a glorious day of June, 
That we saw their banners dance, and their cuirasses shine ; 

And the Man of Blood was there, with his long essenced hair, 
And Astley, and Sir Marmaduke, and Rupert of the Rhine. 

Like a servant of the Lord, with his Bible and his sword, 
The general rode along us, to form us to the fight, 

When a murmuring sound broke out, and swelled into a shout, 
Among the godless horsemen, upon the tyrant's right. 

And, hark! like the roar of the billows on the shore, 
The cry of battle rises along their charging line ! 

For God ! for the Cause ! for the Church ! for the Laws ! 
For Charles, King of England, and Rupert of the Rhine ! 

The furious German comes, with his clarions and his drums, 
His bravoes of Alsatia, and pages of Whitehall ; 

* Naseby is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Here was fought a 
decisive battle between the royal forces commanded by Charles I. and those 
of the Parliament under Fairfax, June 14, 1645. The royal centre was com- 
manded by the king in person, the right wing by Prince Rnpert, and the left 
by Sir Marmaduke Langdal. Fairfax, supported by Skippon, commanded 
the centre of his army, with Cromwell on his right wing, and Ireton on his 
left. The royal army, though successful in the first part of the action, was 
totally defeated.— Monroe's Sixth Reader. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 199 

They are bursting- on our flanks. Grasp your pikes, close your 
ranks, 
For Rupert never comes but to conquer or to fall. 

They are here ! They rush on ! We are broken ! We are gone ! 

Our left is borne before them like stubble on the blast. 
O Lord, put forth Thy might ! O Lord, defend the right ! 

Stand back to back, in God's name, and fight it to the last. 

Stout Skippon hath a wound ; the centre hath given ground ; 

Hark! hark! What means this tramping of horsemen in our 
rear ? 
Whose banner do I see, boys ? 'Tis he, thank God ! 'tis he, boys ! 

Bear up another minute : brave Oliver is here. 

Their heads all stooping low, their points all in a row. 
Like a whirlwind on the trees, like a deluge on the dykes ; 

Our cuirassiers have burst on the ranks of the Accurst. 
And at a shock have scattered the forest of his pikes. 

Fast, fast, the gallants ride, in some safe nook to hide 
Their coward heads, predestined to rot on Temple Bar ; 

And he — he turns, he flies : — shame on those cruel eyes 
That bore to look on torture, and dare not look on war. 

— Macaulay. 



LESSOK XXI. 

The Little Stowaway. 



[Study in impersonation. Give special attention to bearings and attitudes.] 

' ' 'Bout three years ago, afore I got this berth as I'm in now, I 
was second engineer aboard a Liverpool steamer bound for New 
York. There'd been a lot of extra cargo sent down just at the 
last minute, and we'd had no end of a job stowin' it away, and 
that ran us late o' startin' ; so that, altogether, you may think, 
the cap'n warn't in the sweetest temper in the world, nor the 
mate neither. On the mornin' of the third day out from Liver- 



200 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

pool, the chief engineer cum down to me in a precious hurry, and 
says he: ' Tom, what d'ye think ? Blest if we ain't found a stow- 
away ! ' 

"I didn't wait to hear no more, but up on deck like a sky- 
rocket ; and there I did see a sight, and no mistake. Every man- 
Jack o' the crew, and what few passengers we had aboard, was 
all in a ring on the f o'c'stle, and in the middle was the fust mate, 
lookin' as black as thunder. Eight in front of him, lookin' a 
reg'lar mite among them big fellers, was a little bit o' a lad not 
ten-year old — ragged as a scarecrow, but with bright, curly hair, 
and a bonnie little face o' his own, if it hadn't been so woful thin 
and pale. The mate was a great hulkin' black-bearded feller 
with a look that 'ud ha' frightened a horse, and a voice fit to 
make one jump through a keyhole; but the young un warn't a 
bit afeard — he stood straight up, and looked him full in the face 
with them bright, clear eyes o' his'n, for all the world as if he 
was Prince Halferd himself. You might ha' heerd a pin drop, 
as the mate spoke. 

' ' ' Well, you young whelp, ' says he, ' what's brought you 
here ? ' 

'"It was my step-father as done it,' says the boy, in a weak 
little voice, but as steady as could be. ' Father's dead, and 
mother's married again, and my new father says as how he won't 
have no brats about eatin' up his wages ; and he stowed me away 
when nobody warn't lookin', and guv me some grub to keep me 
goin' for a day or two till I got to sea. He says I'm to go to 
Aunt Jane, at Halifax; and here's her address.' 

"We all believed every word on't, even without the paper he 
held out. But the mate says : ' Look here, my lad ; that's all 
very fine, but it won't do here — some o' these men o' mine are in 
the secret, and I mean to have it out of 'em. Now, you just point 
out the man as stowed you away and fed you, this very minute ; 
if you don't, it'll be the worse for you ! ' 

' ' The boy looked up in his bright, fearless way (it did my heart 
good to look at him, the brave little chap !) and says, quietly, 'I've 
told you the truth ; I ain't got no more to say.' 

"The mate says nothin', but looks at him for a minute as if 
he'd see clean through him ; and then he sings out to the crew 






SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 201 

loud enough to raise the dead: 'Reeve a rope to the yard; 
smart now ! ' 

" ' Now, my lad, you see that 'ere rope ? Well, I'll give you ten 
minutes to confess ; and if you don't tell the truth afore the time's 
up, I'll hang you like a dog ! ' 

' ' The crew all stared at one another as if they couldn't believe 
their ears (I didn't believe mine, I can tell ye), and then a low 
growl went among 'em, like a wild beast awakin' out of a nap. 

1 ' ' Silence there ! ' shouts the mate, in a voice like the roar of a 
nor'easter. ' Stan' by to run f or'ard ! ' as he held the noose ready 
to put it round the boy's neck. The little fellow never flinched 
a bit ; but there was some among the sailors (big strong chaps as 
could ha' felled an ox) as shook like leaves in the wind. I 
clutched hold o' a handspike, and held it behind my back, all 
ready. 

' ' ' Tom, ' whispers the chief engineer to me, ' d'ye think he really 
means to do it ? ' 

" ' I don't know,' says I, through my teeth ; ' but if he does, he 
shall go first, if 1 swings for it ! ' 

"I've been in many an ugly scrape in my time, but I never felt 
'arf as bad as I did then. Every minute seemed as long as a 
dozen ; and the tick o' the mate's watch, reg'lar, pricked my ears 
like a pin. 

" 'Eight minutes,' says the mate, his great, deep voice breakin' 
in upon the silence like the toll o' a funeral bell. ' If you've got 
anything to confess, my lad, you'd best out with it, for ye're 
time's nearly up. ' 

" 'I've told you the truth,' answers the boy, very pale, but as 
firm as ever. ' May I say my prayers, please ? ' 

- ' The mate nodded ; and down goes the poor little chap on his 
knees and puts up his poor little hands to pray. I couldn't make 
out what he said, but I'll be bound God heard it every word. 
Then he uus on his feet again, and puts his hands behind him, 
and says to tne mate quite quietly 'I'm ready. ' 

" And then, sir tne mate's hard, grim face broke up all to once, 
like I've seed the ice in the Baltic . He snatched up the boy in 
his arms, and kissed him, and burst out a-cryin' like a child; and 
I think there warn't one of us as didn't do the same. I know I 
did for one. 



202 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

" ' God bless you, my boy! ' says he, smoothin' the child's hair 
with his great hard hand. ' You're a true Englishman, every 
inch of you; you wouldn't tell a lie to save yer life! Well, if so 
be as yer father's cast yer off, I'll be yer father from this day 
forth; and if I ever forget you, then may God forget me!' 

"And he kep' his word, too. When we got to Halifax, he found 
out the little un's aunt, and gev' her a lump o' money to make 
him comfortable ; and now he goes to see the youngster every 
voyage, as reg'lar as can be ; and to see the pair on 'em together 
— the little chap so fond of him, and not bearin' him a bit o' 
grudge— it's 'bout as pretty a sight as ever I seed. And now, 
sir, axin' yer parding, it's time for me to be goin' below ; so I'll 
just wish yer good-night. " 



LESSOH XXII. 



The Owl and the Bell. 



" Bing, Bim, Bang, Borne!" 

Sang the Bell to himself in his house at home. 

Up in the tower, away and unseen, 

In a twilight of ivy, cool and green ; 

With his Bing, Bim, Bang, Borne ! 

Singing bass to himself in his house at home. 

Said the Owl to himself, as he sat below 
On a window-ledge, like a ball of snow : 
' ' Pest on that fellow, sitting up there, 
Always calling the people to prayer ! 
With his Bing, Bim, Bang, Borne ! 
Mighty big in his house at home ! 

"I will move, " said the Owl. ' ' But it suits me well ; 
And one may set used to it, — who can tell ? " 
So he slept in the day with all his might, 
And rose and flapped out in the hush of night, 
When the Bell was asleep in his tower at home, 
Dreaming over his Bing, Bang, Borne ! 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 203 

For the Owl was born so poor and genteel, 

He was forced from the first to pick and steal ; 

He scorned to work for honest bread — 

"Better have never been hatched," he said. 

So he slept all day ; for he dared not roam 

Till the night had silenced the Bing, Bang, Borne ! 

When his six little darlings had chipped the egg, 
He must steal the more ; 'twas a shame to beg. 
And they ate the more that thej r did not sleep well. 
' ' It's their gizzards, " said ma. Said pa, ' ' It's the Bell ! 
For they quiver like leaves in a wind-blown tome, 
When the Bell bellows out his Bing, Bang, Borne!" 

But the Bell began to throb with the fear 
Of bringing the house about his one ear ; 
And his people were patching all day long, 
And propping the walls to make them strong. 
So a fortnight he sat, and felt like a mome, 
For he dared not shout his Bing, Bang, Bome ! 

Said the Owl to himself, and hissed as he said, 

"I do believe the old fool is dead. 

Now, now, I vow, I shall never pounce twice; 

And stealing shall be all sugar and spice. 

But I'll see the corpse, ere he's laid in the loam, 

And shout in his ear Bing, Bim, Bang, Bome ! 

" Hoo! hoo! " he cried, as he entered the steeple, 

"They 've hanged him at last, the righteous people! 

His swollen tongue lolls out of his head — 

Hoo ! hoo ! at last the old brute is dead. 

There let him hang, the shapeless gnome ! 

Choked, with his throat full of Bing, Bang, Bome!" 

So he danced about him, singing "Too-whoo! " 
And flapped the poor Bell and said, ' ' Is that you ? 
Where is your voice with its wonderful tone, 
Banging poor owls and making them groan ? 
A fig for you now, in your great hall-dome ! 
Too-whoo is better than Bing, Bang, Bome ! " 



:->ui SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

So brave was the Owl, the downy and dapper, 
That he flew inside, and sat on the clapper ; 
And he shouted "Too-whoo! " till the echo awoke 
Like the sound of a ghostly clapper -stroke. 
"Ah, ha!" quoth the Owl, "I am quite at home; 
I will take your place with my Bing, Bang, Borne!" 

The Owl was uplifted with pride and self -wonder ; 

He hissed, and then called the echo thunder ; 

And he sat, the monarch of feathered fowl, 

Till — Bang ! went the Bell, and down went the Owl, 

Like an avalanche of feathers and foam, 

Loosed by the booming Bing, Bang, Borne. 

He sat where he fell, as if naught was the matter, 
Though one of his eyebrows was certainly flatter. 
Said the eldest owlet, ' ' Pa, you were wrong ; 
He's at it again with his vulgar song. " 
" Be still," said the Owl ; " j'ou're guilty of pride: 
I brought him to life by perching inside." 

"But why, my dear ?" said his pillowy wife; 

' ' You know he was always the plague of your life. " 

' ' I have given him a lesson of good for evil ; 

Perhaps the old ruffian will now be civil. " 

The Owl looked righteous, and raised his comb ; 

But the Bell bawled on his Bing, Bang, Bome ! 

— George MacDonald. 



LESSOH XXIII. 



Scene from The Rivals. 



[Study particularly for the attitudes, but with attention to facial expres- 
sion as well.] 

Bob Acres, a stupid country squire, has been induced to chal- 
lenge his unknown rival, Beverley, who is really Captain Abso- 
lute, though Acres does not know it. Sir Lucius O'Trigger, who 
has challenged Captain Absolute, has consented at the same time 
to act as second for Acres, not knowing that Beverley and Abso- 
lute are the same. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 205 

[Enter Sir Lucius and Acres, with pistols. ] 

Acres. By my valour, then, Sir Lucius, forty yards is a good 
distance. Odds levels and aims ! I say it is a good distance. 

Sir L. It is for muskets, or small field pieces. Upon my con- 
science, Mr. Acres, you must leave these things to me. Stay now, 
I'll show you. [Measures paces.'] There, now, that is a very pretty 
distance — a pretty gentleman's distance. 

Acres. Zounds ! we might as well fight in a sentry-box ! I tell 
you, Sir Lucius, the farther he is off the cooler I shall take my 
aim. 

Sir L. Faith, then, I suppose you would aim at him best of 
all if he was out of sight ! 

Acres. No, Sir Lucius, but I should think forty, or eight and 
thirty yards — 

Sir L. Pho! pho! nonsense! three or four feet between the 
mouths of your pistols is as good as a mile. 

Acres. Odds bullets, no ! by my valour, there is no merit in 
killing him so near ! Do, my dear Sir Lucius, let me bring him 
down at a long shot ; a long shot, Sir Lucius, if you love me. 

Sir L. Well, the gentleman's friend and I must settle that. 
I suppose, Mr. Acres, you never were engaged in an affair of this 
kind before ? 

Acres. No, Sir Lucius, never before. 

Sir L. Ah, that's a pity — there's nothing like being used to a 
thing. Pray, now, how would you receive the gentleman's shot? 

Acres. Odds files! I've practised that — there, Sir Lucius, there 
— [puts himself into an attitude] a side-front, hey ? — Odds, I'll 
make myself small enough — I'll stand edgeways. 

Sir L. Now, you're quite out — for if you stand so when I take 
my aim — [levelling at him] 

Acres. Zounds, Sir Lucius ! are you sure it is not cocked ? 

Sir L. Never fear. 

Acres. But — but — you don't know — it may go off of its own 
head! 

Sir L. Pho ! be easy. Well, now, if I hit you in the body, my 
bullet has a double chance; for if it misses a vital part on your 
right side, 'twill be very hard if it don't succeed on the left. 

Acres. A vital part ! 



206 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Sir L. But there— fix yourself so [placing him] — let him see 
the broadside of your full front — there — now a ball or two may 
pass clean through your body, and never do you any harm at all, 
and it is much the genteelest attitude into the bargain. 

Acres. Look ye, Sir Lucius— I'd just as leave be shot in an 
awkward posture as a genteel one— so, by my valour ! I will 
stand edgeways. 

Sir L. [looking at Iris watcli]. Sure they don't mean to dis- 
appoint us — hah ! no, faith — I think I see them coming. 

Acres. Hey ! — what ! — coming ! 

Sir L. Ay, who are those yonder, getting over the stile ? 

Acres. There are two of them indeed ! — well, let them come — 
hey, Sir Lucius ! — we — we — we — we — won't run . 

Sir L. Run! 

Acres. No, I say — we won't run, by my valour ! 

Sir L. What's the matter with you ? 

Acres. Nothing, nothing, my dear friend — my dear Sir Lucius 
—but I — I — I don't feel quite so bold, somehow, as I did. 

Sir L. Oh, fie ! consider your honour. 

Acres. Ay, true — my honour — do, Sir Lucius, edge in a word 
or two, every now and then, about my honour. 

Sir L. Well, here they're coming. [Looking.] 

[Enter Faulkland and Captain Absolute.] 

Sir L. Gentlemen, your most obedient — hah ! — what, Captain 
Absolute ! So, I suppose, sir, you are come here, just like myself 
—to do a kind office, first for your friend — then to proceed to 
business on your own account? Mr. Beverley, [to Faulkland] 
if you choose your weapons, the Captain and I will measure the 
ground. 

Faulk. My weapons, sir ! 

Acres. Odds life ! Sir Lucius, I'm not going to fight Mr. Faulk- 
land ; these are my particular friends ! 

Sir L. What, sir, did not you come here to fight Mr. Acres ? 

Faulk. Not I, upon my word, sir ! But if Mr. Acres is so bent 
on the matter — 

Acres. No, no, Mr. Faulkland — I'll bear my disappointment 
like a Christian. Lookye, Sir Lucius, 'tis one Beverley I've chal- 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 207 

lenged— a fellow, you see, that dare not show his face. If he 
were here, I'd make him give up his pretensions directly. 

Capt. A. Hold, Bob— let me set you right — there is no such 
man as Beverley in the case. The person who assumed that 
name is before you ; and as his pretensions are the same in both 
characters, he is ready to support them in whatever way you 
please. 

Sm L. Well, this is lucky. Now you have an opportunity — 

Acres. What, quarrel with my dear friend, Jack Absolute ! — 
not if he were fifty Beverleys ! Zounds ! Sir Lucius, you would 
not have me so unnatural ! 

Sir L. Pho ! pho ! you are little better than a coward. 

Acres. Mind, gentlemen, he calls me a coward : coward was 
the word, by my valour ! 

Sir L. Well, sir ? 

Acres. Lookye, Sir Lucius, 'tisn't that I mind the word coward 
— coward may be said in a joke — but if you had called me a pol- 
troon, odds daggers and balls ! 

Sir L. Well, sir ? 

Acres. I should have thought you a very ill-bred man. — 
Sheridan. 



LESSOH XXIV. 



A Plain Tale of 1893. 



[Study for deep, genuine feeling.] 

Heroic deeds are not, as some apostles of the commonplace 
would have us think, lost to the world in these degenerate days. 
Nor yet are they so plenty that we can afford to let even one pass 
by unnoticed and unrecorded. Great disasters and arduous ex- 
peditions call them forth, and they are seen, too, in the daily 
current of events in the humblest walks of life. Often the 
heroes are unconscious of their own worth. But the chief value 
of such deeds is not in the glorification of the doer, but in the 
inspiration they give to the beholder, to the reader, to all who 



208 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

know of them. There comes at this time from the Dark Conti- 
nent a plain tale of plain men in this latest year of the era of 
commonplace as thrilling as any saga of Odin and his heroes. 

It was in Matabeleland, in Captain Wilson's fatal pursuit of the 
wily monster, Lobengula. The principal facts of that; gallant 
but disastrous ride have already been made known. But an 
officer of one of the Matabele regiments, who himself led in the 
attack upon the entrapped Englishmen, supplies, in his own 
graphic phrases, some details that can never be forgotten.* 
"I, Machasha, induna in the Insuka regiment," he says, "tell 
you these things. We were six thousand men against your 
thirty-four. . . . They rode into the track, and linked their 
horses in a ring, and commenced a heavy fire upon us, and our 
men fell fast and thick. We opened a fire upon them and killed 
all their horses. Then they took to cover behind their horses' 
bodies and killed us just like grass. We tried to rush them. 
Twice we tried, but failed. After a time they did not fire so 
much, and we thought their ammunition was getting short. 
Then, just as we were preparing to rush again, they all stood up. 
They took off their hats and sang. We were so amazed to see 
men singing in the face of death that we knew not what to do. 
At last we rushed. You white men don't fight like men, but like 
devils. They shot us until the last cartridge, and most of them 
shot themselves with that. But those who had none left just 
covered up their eyes and died without a sound. Child of a 
white man, your people know how to fight, and how to die. 
We killed all the thirty-four. But they killed us like grass." 

Not the Spartans at Thermopylae, nor the Guard at Waterloo, 
presented a spectacle of sublimer heroism than that handful of 
Englishmen, surrounded by savage foes more than a hundred to 
one when the last cartridges were in their revolvers, standing up 
in full view of their slayers, reverently baring their heads, and 
singing "God Save the Queen!" Your latter-day materialist 
may sneer at it as fustian, or as mere brute desperation. It was 
neither. It was the sense of duty conquering the sense of fear. 
It was courage of soul triumphant over impending dissolution of 

*In the passage that follows, do not impersonate. Speak as you feel, 
with admiration for the heroism of these noble men. The emotions here are 
too deep for tricks of impersonation. 



SELECTIONS FOR ERA CTICE. 209 

the body. It was a ' ' crowded hour of glorious life " that indeed 
was ' ' worth an age without a name ; " worth it, not only to the 
actors in it, but to the whole human race. Those men had no 
reason to think, and did not think, that their death-soug would 
ever be heard by other ears than those of their destroyer. Their 
deed was not bravado, but modest, loyal duty. But their voices 
will henceforth live in countless throbbing hearts, and their 
valor makes life and the world seem nobler to all their fellow- 
men. — New York Tribune. 



LESSOH XXV. 



Two Viex\ r s of Christmas. 



[Study in inflection and impersonation.] 

Nephew. A merry Christmas, uncle ! 

Scrooge. Bah! humbug! 

Nepii. Christmas a humbug, uncle ! You don't mean that, 
I'm sure ? 

Scrooge. I do. Out upon merry Christmas ! What's Christ- 
mas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a 
time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer ; a 
time for balancing your books, and having every item in 'em 
through a round dozen of months presented dead against you ? 
If I had my will, every idiot who goes about with ' ' Merry 
Christmas " on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, 
and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should ! 

Neph. Uncle ! 

Scrooge. Nephew, keep Christmas time in your own way, 
and let me keep it in mine. 

Neph. Keep it! But you don't keep it! 

Scrooge. Let me leave it alone, then. Much good may it do 
you ! Much good it has ever done you ! 

Neph. There are many good things from which I might have 
derived good by which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas 



210 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Jurist - 
mas time, when it has come round, — apart from the veneration 
due to its sacred origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart 
from that — as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleas- 
ant time ; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the 
year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their 
shut hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they 
really were fellow-travelers to the grave, and nut another race 
of creatures bound on other journeys. And, therefore, uncle, 
though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I 
believe that it has done me good, and will do me good ; and I say, 
God bless it ! 

Scrooge. You're quite a powerful speaker, sir ; I wonder you 
don't go into Parliament. 

Neph. Don't be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with us to- 
morrow. 

Scrooge. I'll see you hanged first. 

Neph. But why, uncle ? "Why ? 

Scrooge. Why did you get married ? 

Neph. Because I fell in love. 

Scrooge. Because you fell in love ! — Good afternoon ! 

Neph. Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me before that 
happened. Why give it as a reason for not coming now ? 

Scrooge. Good afternoon! 

Neph. I want nothing from you ; I ask nothing of you ; why 
cannot we be friends ? 

Scrooge. Good afternoon ! 

Neph. I am sorry, with all* my heart, to find you so resolute. 
We never had any quarrel to which I have been a party. But I 
have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my 
Christmas humor to the last. So, a merry Christmas, uncle ! 

Scrooge. Good afternoon! 

Neph. And a happy New Year ! 

Scrooge. Good afternoon I— Dickens. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 211 

LESSOH XXYI. 



'Xlne Christmas Party at Scrooge's Nephew's. 



[An excellent study for distinctness, as well as in all the elements of 
expression that we have studied.] 

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things that, 
while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in 
the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor. 
When Scrooge's nephew laughed, Scrooge's niece by marriage 
laughed as heartily as he. And their assembled friends, being 
not a bit behindhand, laughed out lustily. 

"He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live!" cried 
Scrooge's nephew. "He believed it, too ! " 

"More shame for him, Fred!" said Scrooge's niece, indig- 
nantly. 

Bless those women ! They never do anything by halves. They 
are always in earnest. She was very pretty; exceedingly pretty. 
With a dimpled, surprised-looking, capital face; a ripe little 
mouth that seemed made to be kissed— as no doubt it was ; all 
kinds of good little dots about her chin, that melted into one 
another when she laughed; and the sunniest pair of eyes you 
ever saw in any little creature's head. Altogether, she was what 
you would have called provoking, but satisfactory, too ; oh, per- 
fectly satisfactory. 

"He's a comical old fellow," said Scrooge's nephew, "that's 
the truth; and not so pleasant as he might be. However, his 
offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say 
against him. Who suffers by his ill whims ? Himself, always. 
Here he takes it into his head to dislike us, and he won't come 
and dine with us. What's the consequence ? He don't lose 
much of a dinner." 

"Indeed, I think he loses a very good dinner," interrupted 
Scrooge's niece. Everybody else said the same, and they must 
be allowed to have been competent judges, because they had 
just had dinner; and, with the dessert upon the table, were clus- 
tered round the fire by lamplight. 

"Well, I am very glad to hear it," said Scrooge's nephew, 



■ll-l SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

"because I haven't any great faith in these young housekeepers. 
What do you say, Topper ? " 

Topper clearly had his eye on one of Scrooge's niece's sisters, 
for he answered that a bachelor was a wretched outcast, who 
had no right to express an opinion on the subject. Whereat 
Scrooge's niece's sister- the plump one with the lace tucker, not 
the one with roses — blushed. 

After tea they had some music. For they were a musical 
family, and knew what they were about when they sang a glee 
or catch, I can assure you — especially Topper, who could growl 
away down in the bass like a good one, and never swell the large 
veins in his forehead, or get red in the face over it. 

But they didn't devote the whole evening to music. After a 
while they played at forfeits ; for it is good to be children some- 
times, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty 
founder was a child Himself. There was first a game at blind- 
man's buff, though. And I no more believe Topper was really 
blinded than I believe he had eyes in his boots. Because the way 
in which he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker was 
an outrage on the credulity of human nature. Knocking down 
the fire-irons, tumbling over the chairs, bumping up against the 
piano, smothering himself among the curtains — wherever she 
went, there went he ! He always knew where the plump sister 
was. He couldn't catch anybody else. If you had fallen up 
against him, as some of them did, and stood there, he would have 
made a feint of endeavoring to seize you which would have been 
an affront to your understanding, and would instantly have 
sidled off in the direction of the plump sister. 

They had a game called Yes and No, where Scrooge's nephew 
had to think of something, and the rest must find out what ; he 
only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. 
The fire of questioning to which he was exposed elicited from 
him that he was thinking of an animal, a live animal, rather a 
disagreeable animal, a savage animal, an animal that growled 
and grunted sometimes, and lived in London, and walked about 
the streets, and wasn't made a show of, and wasn't led by any 
body, and didn't live in a menagerie, and was never killed in a 
market, and was not a horse, or an ass, or a cow, or a bull, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 213 

or a tiger, or a dog, or a pig, or a cat, or a bear. At every 
new question put to him, this nephew burst into a fresh roar of 
laughter; and was so inexpressibly tickled that he was obliged to 
get up off the sofa and stamp. At last the plump sister cried 
out: 

' ' I have found it out ! I know what it is, Fred ! I know what 
it is!" 

' ' What is it ? " cried Fred. 

"It's your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge ! " which it certainly was. 
Admiration was the universal sentiment, though some objected 
that the reply to " Is it a bear ?" ought to have been " Yes." — 
Dickens. 



LESSOR XXYII. 



Tine Palmer's Vision. 
By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. 
[Study for the attitudes of the head ] 
Noon o'er Judtea ! All the air was beating 

With the hot pulses of the day's great heart ; 
The birds were silent ; and the rill, retreating, 
Shrank in its covert, and complained apart, 

When a lone pilgrim, with his scrip and burden, 
Dropped by the wayside weary and distressed, 

His sinking heart grows faithless of its guerdon — 
The city of his recompense and rest. 

No vision yet of Galilee and Tabor ! 

No glimpse of distant Zion thronged and crowned ! 
Behind him stretched his long and useless labor, 

Before him lay the parched and stony ground. 

He leaned against a shrine of Mary, casting 
Its balm of shadow on his aching head ; 

And worn with toil, and faint with cruel fasting, 
He sighed, ' ' O God ! O God, that I were dead ! 



214 SELECTIONS Foil PRACTICE. 

■ • The friends I love are lost, or left behind me ; 

In penury and loneliness I roam ; 
These endless paths of penance choke and blind me: 

Oh, come and take Thy wasted pilgrim home ! " 

Then, with the form of Mary bending o'er him, 
Her hands in changeless benediction stayed, 

The palmer slept, while a swift dream upbore him 
To the fair paradise for which he prayed. 

He stood alone, wrapped in divinest wonder ; 

He saw the pearly gates and jasper walls 
Informed with light ; and heard the far-off thunder 

Of chariot wheels and mighty waterfalls. 

From far and near, in rhythmic palpitations, 
Rose on the air the noise of shouts and psalms ; 

And through the gates he saw the ransomed nations 
Marching, and waving their triumphant palms. 

And white within the thronging empyrean, 
A golden palm-branch in His kingly hand, 

He saw his Lord — the gracious Galilean — 
Amid the worship of His myriads stand. 

" O Jesus, Lord of glory! bid me enter: 
I worship Thee ! I kiss Thy holy rood ! " 

The pilgrim cried, when, from the burning centre, 
A broad-winged angel sought him where he stood. 

" Why art thou here ? " in accents deep and tender 
Outspoke the messenger. ' ' Dost thou not know 

That none may win the city's rest and splendor 
Who do not cut their palms in Jericho ? 

" Go back to earth, thou palmer empty-handed! 

Go back to hunger and the toilsome way ! 
Complete the task that duty hath commanded, 

And win the palm thou hast not brought to-day! " 

And then the sleeper woke, and gazed around him ; 
Then, springing to his feet with life renewed, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 215 

He spurned the faithless weakness that had bound him, 
And, faring on, his pilgrimage pursued. 

The way was hard, and he grew halt and weary ; 

But one long day among the evening hours, 
He saw beyond a landscape gray and dreary 

The sunset flame on Salem's sacred towers. 

Oh, fainting soul that readest well this story, 
Longing through pain for death's benignant balm, 

Think not to win a heaven of rest and glory 
If thou shalt reach its gates without thy palm. 

— J. G. Holland. 



LESSOH XXYIII. 



Marmioii and Douglas. 



[Study in bold climax. Attitudes of the head.] 

The train from out the castle drew, 
But Marmion stopped to bid adieu : 

"Though something I might plain," he said, [I.] 
" Of cold respect to stranger guest, 
Sent hither by your king's behest, 

While in Tantallon's towers I stayed, 
Part we in friendship from your land, 
And, noble Earl, receive my hand." [II.] 
But Douglas round him drew his cloak, 
Folded his arms, and thus he spoke : 
"My manors, halls, and bowers shall' still 
Be open, at my sovereign's will, [VII. ] 
To each one whom he lists, howe'er 
Unmeet to be the owner's peer : 
My castles are my king's alone, 
From turret to foundation-stone, — 
The hand of Douglas is his own, 
And never shall in friendly grasp 



216 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

The hand of such as Marmion clasp." 
Burned Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire 
And shook his very frame for ire, 

And— "This to me! " he said,— [III.] 
"An 'twere not for thy hoary beard, 
Such hand as Marmion's had not spared 

To cleave the Douglas' head ! 
And first, I tell thee, haughty peer, 
He who does England's message here, 
Although the meanest in her state, 
May well, proud Angus, he thy mate ! 
And, Douglas, more I tell thee here, 

Even in thy pitch of pride, 
Here in thy hold, thy vassals near, 
(Nay, never look upon your lord, 
And lay your hands upon your sword) 

I tell thee thou "rt defied ! [VII. ] 
And if thou saidst I am not peer 
To any lord in Scotland here, 
Lowland or highland, far or near, 

Lord Angus, thou hast lied ! " 
On the Earl's cheek the flush of rage 
O'ercame the ashen hue of age. 
Fierce he broke forth, — "And dar'st thou then 
To beard the lion in his den, 

The Douglas in his Hall ? 
And hop'st thou hence unscathed to go ? 
No, by St. Bride of Both well, no ! 
Up drawbridge, grooms ! — What, warder, ho ! 

Let the portcullis fall ! " 
Lord Marmion turned — well was his need ! — 
And dashed the rowels in his steed. 
Like arrow through the archway sprung ; 
The ponderous gate behind him rung : 
To pass there was such scanty room, 
The bars, descending, razed his plume. 
The steed along the drawbridge flies. 
Just as it trembled on the rise ; 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 21? 

Not lighter does the swallow skirn 

Along the smooth lake's level brim; 

And when Lord Marmion reached his band, 

He halts, and turns with clenched hand, 

And shout of loud defiance pours, [VII. Extreme. ] 

And shook his gauntle t atthe towers. 

' ' Horse ! horse ! " the Douglas cried, ' ' and chase ! " 

But soon he reined his fury's pace : 

"A royal messenger he came, 

Though most unworthy of the name. 

* v~ * tt * 

St. Mary, mend my fiery mood ! 

Old age ne'er cools the Douglas blood, 

I thought to slay him where he stood. 

' Tis pity of him, too, " he cried ; 

" Bold can he speak, and fairly ride, [II. Slight.'] 

I warrant him a warrior tried." 

With this his mandate he recalls, 

And slowly seeks his castle walls. 

— Scott. 



LESSOK XXIX. 

Alexander Ypsilanti. 



[Study for attitudes of head and expression of the eye.] 
Alexander Ypsilanti sat in Muncac's lofty tower 
And the rotten casement rattled in the wind that midnight hour ! 
Black winged clouds in long procession, hiding moon and star. 

swept by. 
And the Greek prince whispered sadly, ' ' Must I here a captive 

lie?" 
On the distant south horizon still he gazes, half unmanned : 
•• AVere I sleeping in thy dust, now, my beloved fatherland ! " 
And he flung the window open—' twas a dreary scene to view ; 
Crows were swarming in the lowlands, round the cliff the eagles 

flew. 



218 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

And again he murmured, sighing, ' ' Comes there none good news 

to tell, 
From the country of my fathers ? " And his heavy lashes fell, — 
Was't with tears, or was't with slumber ? and his head sank on 

his hand, 
Lo ! his face is growing brighter, dreams he of his fatherland ? 
So he sate, and to the sleeper came a slender armed man, 
Who with glad and earnest visage to the mourner thus began : 
"Alexander Ypsilanti, cheer thy heart and lift thy head! 
In the narrow rocky passage where my blood was freely shed, 
Where the brave three hundred Spartans slumber in a common 

grave, 
Greece to-day has met the oppressor, and her conquering banners 

wave! 
This glad message to deliver was my spirit sent to thee : 
Alexander Ypsilanti, Hellas' holy land is free ! " 
Then awoke the prince from slumber, and in ecstasy he cries : 
" ' Tis Leonidas! " and glistening tears of joy bedewed his eyes. 
Hark ! above his head a rustling ; and a kingly eagle flies, 
From the window and in moonlight, spreads his pinions to the 

skies. 



LESSOH XXX. 

Mice at Pla^. 



[Variety in rhythmical movement.] 

Mother was away, and, in consequence, Bess, Bob, Archie, and 
Tom had gotten into all sorts of mischief, the most serious acci- 
dent being Archie's broken arm, the result of an attempt to ride 
the trick mule at the circus the day before. But in the minds of 
the children, the fact that Bob had dropped the best silver teapot 
down the well quite overshadowed all other misfortunes and the 
question was, how to recover it, 

" I see it ! I see it ! " cried Tom eagerly. ' ' It's down at the bot- 
tom. " 

" Did you suppose it would float ? " asked Bess. 

"Let me see ! " cried Bob. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 219 

"You clear out," said Archie: "you've made all this mischief. 
You'd better go before you tumble in yourself, you little goose. 
I can't go after it, with my broken arm. " 

" Now I suppose we will hear of nothing but your broken arm 
for a month, and you'll shirk everything for it. ' I can't study 
'cause my arm's broken ; I can't go errands 'cause my arm's broken ; 
I can't go to church 'cause my arm's broken ; ' that will be your 
whim, Archie; but don't try your dodges on me, for I won't stand 
it. If it really hurts you, I'm sorry, and I'll lick any fellow that 
touches you till you get well again : but none of your humbug. 
Of course you can't go down the well ; you couldn't if your arm 
wasn't broken. " 

Meanwhile Bess had gone to the house for a long fishing-pole, 
and soon returned carrying it. 

" We'll fasten a hook to the end of it and fish the teapot up," 
said she. 

' ' Ho, ho ! Do you suppose it will bite like a fish ? " laughed 
Tom. 

' ' No, I do not, Tom Bradley. But I suppose if I tie a string to 
the pole, and fasten an iron hook to one end, that I can wiggle it 
round in the water till the hook catches in the handle, and then 
we can draw it up. That's what I suppose. " 

' ' There's something in that, Bess. Let me try. " 

" No ; go and get one for yourself. " 

"But where can I find one ? " 

"In the smoke-house, where I got mine." 

' ' Oh, get me one, too, " cried Bob. 

" And me one, too," cried Archie. 

Before half an hour had passed, the four children, all armed 
with fishing-poles, were intently wiggling in the water, catching 
their hooks in the stones by the side of the well, entangling their 
lines, digging their elbows into each other's sides, in their frantic 
attempts to pull their hooks loose, scolding, pushing, and getting 
generally excited. Every few minutes Tom would pull Bess back 
by her sunbonnet, and save her from tumbling over in her eager- 
ness ; but so far from being grateful to her deliverer, Bess resented 
the treatment indignantly. 

" Stop jerking my head so! " she cried. 



220 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

" You'll be in, in a minute; you'd have been in then, if I hadn't 
jerked you," answered Tom. 

Well, what if I had ? Let me alone. If I go in, that's my own 
lookout." 

"Your own look in, you mean. My gracious! wouldn't you as- 
tonish the toads down there ! But you'd get your face clean. " 

' ' Now, Tom, you let me be. I 'most had it that time. " 

"So you've said forty times. This is all humbug. I'm going 
down on the rope for it. " 

"Oh, no, Tom; please don't. Indeed you'll be drowned; the 
rope will break; you'll kill yourself: you'll catch cold," cried Bess, 
in alarm. 

' ' Pooh ! girl ! coward ! " retorted thankless Tom. ' ' Who's afraid 
of what ? Stand back, small boys, I'm going in." 

"You'll poison the water," suggested Archie, 

' ' It will be so cold, " moaned Bob. 

" I'll scream for a hundred years, without stopping, Tom," cried 
Bess, wildly. "You shan't go down— you; I'll call someone. 
Murray! Peter! Maggie! c-o-o-o-o-o-o-me! O-o-o-o-h, c-o-o-o-o-me !" 

' : Stop screaming, and help. Now, do you three hold on tight 
to this bucket; don't let go for a moment; pull away as hard as 
you can when I tell you to. Now for it. " 

And, without more ado, Tom clung to the other rope with his 
hands, and twisted his feet around the bucket-handle. ' ' Hold on 
tight, and let me down easy, " said Tom ; and the three children 
lowered him little by little. 

A sudden splash and shiver told them he had reached water, 
and a shout of triumph declared that the teapot was rescued. As 
Tom shouted, all the children let go the rope and rushed to the 
side of the well to look at the victorious hero. It was a most for- 
tunate circumstance that the water in the well was low. As it 
was, he stood in the cold water up to his shoulders. ' ' What made 
you let go ? " roared Tom. 

" Oh, Tom, have you got it ? Have you, really ? Ain't it cold? 
Are you hurt ? Were you scared ? Is the teapot broken ? " 

' ' Draw me up ! You silly children ! You goose of a Bess ! Why 
don't you draw me up ? " 

"I will, Tom ; I'm going to," answered Bess. But all the united 
efforts could not raise Tom. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 221 

"I'll run next door and call Mr. Wilson," said Bess, hopefully, 
and started. As Bess ran, she was suddenly stopped at the gate 
by the sight of a carriage which had just driven up, and out of 
which now stepped Aunt Maria and Aunt Maria's husband, Uncle 
Daniel. These were the very grimmest and grandest of all the 
relations. 

For one awful moment Bess stood stunned. Then her anxiety 
for Tom overcame every other consideration, and before Aunt 
Maria could say, "How do you do, Elizabeth ? " she had caught 
her uncle by his august coat-tail, and, in a piteous voice, besought 
him to come and pull on the rope. " Pull on a rope, Elizabeth!" 
said Uncle Daniel, who was a very slow man ; " why should I pull 
on a rope, my dear ? " 

' ' Oh, come quick ! hurry faster ! Tom's down in the well ! " cried 
Bess. 

" Tom down a well ! How did he get there ? " 

"He went down for the teapot," sobbed Bess; "the silver tea- 
pot, and we can't pull him up again ; and he's cramped with the 
cold. Oh, do hurry ! " 

Uncle Daniel leisurely looked down at Tom. Then he slowly 
took off his coat, and as slowly carried it into the house, stopped 
to give an order to his coachman, came with measured pace to 
the three frightened children ; then took hold of the rope, gave a 
long, strong, calm pull, and in an instant Tom, " dripping with 
coolness, arose from the well." —Neil Forest. 



LESSOH XXXI. 



Ttie Chambered Nautilus. 
By permission of and arrangement with Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 
This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign, 
Sails the unshadowed main — 
The venturous bark that flings 
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings 
In gulfs enchanted, where the siren sings, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

And coral reefs lie bare, 
Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair. 

Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl — 

Wrecked is the ship of pearl ! 

And every chambered cell, 
Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell, 
As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell, 

Before thee lies revealed — 
Its irised ceiling rent, it sunless crypt unsealed ! 

Year after year beheld the silent toil 

That spread his lustrous coil ; 

Still, as the spiral grew, 
He left the past year's dwelling for the new, 
Stole with soft step its shining archway through, 

Built up its idle door, 
Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more. 

Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee, 

Child of the wandering sea, 

Cast from her lap forlorn ! 
From thy dead lips a clearer note is borne 
Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn ! 

While on mine ear it rings, 
Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings : 

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, 

As the swift seasons roll ! 

Leave thy low-vaulted past ! 
Let each new temple, nobler than the last, 
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, 

Till thou at length art free, 
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea! 

—0. W. Holmes. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 223 

LESSOH XXXII. 



Sweet and Low. 



[Gentle inclinations of the head and caressing attitudes of the hands; 
soft voice.] 

Sweet and low, sweet and low, 

Wind of the western sea, 
Low, low, breathe and blow, 

Wind of the western sea ! 
Over the rolling waters go, 
Come from the dying moon, and blow, 

Blow him again to me ; 
While my little one, while my pretty one sleeps. 

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest, 

Father will come to thee soon ; 
Rest, rest, on mother's breast, 

Father will come to thee soon ; 
Father will come to his babe in the nest, 
Silver sails all out of the west 
Under the silver moon ; 
Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep. 

— Tennyson, 



The Twenty-third Psalm. 



The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; he leadeth me 
beside the still waters. 

He restoreth my soul ; he leadeth me in the paths of righteous- 
ness tor his name's sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil ; for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy staff 
they comfort me. 



•JM SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine 
enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 
over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my 
life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.— Bible. 



LESSOH XXXIII. 

Ttie Owl Critic. 

By permission of and arrangement with Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 
[Colloquial manner. Free use of hand and forearm.] 
"Who stuffed that white owl ? " No one spoke in the shop ; 
The barber was busy and he couldn't stop ; 
The customers, waiting their turn, were all reading 
The Daily, the Herald, the Post, little heeding 
The young man who blurted out such a blunt question ; 
Not one raised a head, or even made a suggestion ; 

And the barber kept on shaving. 

' ' Don't you see. Mister Brown, " 

Cried the youth, with a frown, 

' ' How wrong the whole thing is, 

How preposterous each wing is, 

How flattened the head is, how jammed down the neck is — 

In short, the whole owl, what an ignorant wreck 'tis ! 

I make no apology ; 

I've learned owl-eology : 

I've passed days and nights in a hundred collections, 

And cannot be blinded to any deflections 

Arising from unskilful fingers that fail 

To stuff a bird right, from his beak to his tail. 

Mister Brown ! Mister Brown ! 

Do take that bird down, 

Or you'll soon be the laughing stock all over town ! " • 

And the barber kept on shaving. 

" I've studied owls, and other night fowls, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 225 

And I tell you what I know to be true : 

An owl cannot roost with his limbs so unloosed ; 

No owl in this world ever had his claws curled, 

Ever had his legs slanted, ever had his bill canted, 

Ever had his neck screwed into that attitude. 

He can't do it, because it's against all bird laws. 

Anatomy teaches, ornithology preaches, 

An owl has a toe that can't turn out so ! 

I've made the white owl my study for years, 

And to see such a job almost moves me to tears ! 

Mister Brown, I'm amazed you should be so gone crazed 

As to put up a bird in that posture absurd ! 

To look at that owl really brings on a dizziness ; 

The man who stuffed him don't half know his business ! " 

And the barber kept on shaving. 

"Examine those eyes, I'm filled with surprise 
Taxidermists should pass off on you such poor glass ; 
So unnatural they seem they'd make Audubon scream, 
And John Burroughs laugh to encounter such chaff. 
Do take that bird down ; have him stuffed again, Brown ! " 

And the barber kept on shaving. 

"With some sawdust and bark I could stuff in the dark 
An owl better than that ; I could make an old hat 
Look more like an owl than that horrid fowl, 
Stuck up there so stiff, like a side of coarse leather. 
In fact, about // im there's not one natural feather. " 

Just then, with a wink and a sly normal lurch, 
The owl, very gravely, got down from his perch, 
Walked round, and regarded his fault-finding critic 
(Who thought he was stuffed) with a glance analytic, 
And then fairly hooted, as if he should say : 
"Your learning's at fault this time, anyway ; 
Don't waste it again on a live bird, I pray. 
I'm an owl; you're another. Sir Critic, good day! " 

And the barber kept on shaving. 
— James T. Fields. 



226 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

LESSOH XXXIV. 



Herve Riel. 



[Study in movement, pitch and volume.] 

On the sea and at the Hog-ue, sixteen hundred ninety- two, 

Did the English fight the French — woe to France ! 
And, the thirty-first of May, helter-skelter through the blue, 
Like a crowd of frightened porpoises a shoal of sharks pursue, 
Came crowding ship on ship to St. Malo on the Ranee, 
With the English fleet in view. 

'Twas the squadron that escaped, with the victor in full chase, 
First and foremost of the drove, in his great ship, Damfreville ; 
Close on him fled, great and small, 
Twenty- two good ships in all ; 
And they signaled to the place, 
' ' Help the winners of a race ! 
Get us guidance, give us harbor, take us quick — or, quicker 
still, 

Here's the English can and will! " 

Then the pilots of the place put out brisk and leaped on board ; 
"Why, what hope or chance have ships like these to pass ? " 

laughed they ; 
"Rocks to starboard, rocks to port, all the passage scarred and 
scored, 
Shall the ' Formidable ' here, with her twelve and eighty guns, 

Think to make the river-mouth by the single narrow way, 
Trust to enter where 'tis ticklish for a craft of twenty tons, 
And with flow at full beside ? 
Now 'tis slackest ebb of tide. 
Reach the mooring ! Rather say, 
While rock stands or water runs, 
Not a ship will leave the bay ! " 

Then was called a council straight ; 
Brief and bitter the debate : 






SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 227 

' ' Here's the English at our heels ; would you have them take 

in tow 
All that's left us of the fleet, linked together stern and bow, 
For a prize to Plymouth Sound ? — 
Better run the ships aground ! " 

(Ended Damfreville his speech), 
' ' Not a minute more to wait ! 
Let the captains all and each 
Shove ashore, then blow up, burn the vessels on the beach ! 
France must undergo her fate. 

"Give the word!" — But no such word 
Was ever spoke or heard ; 
For up stood, for out stepped, for in struck amid all these — 
A captain ? A lieutenant ? A mate — first, second, third ? 
No such man of mark, and meet 
With his betters to compete ! 
But a simple Breton sailor pressed by Tourville for the fleet— 
A poor coasting pilot he, Herve Riel, the Croisickese. 

And "What mockery or malice have we here? " cries Herve Riel; 
"Are you mad, you Malouins? Are you cowards, fools or 
rogues ? 
Talk to me of rocks and shoals, me who took the soundings, tell 
On my fingers every bank, every shallow, every swell, 

'Twixt the offing here and Greve, where the river disembogues? 
Are you bought by English gold ? Is it love the lying's for ? 
Morn and eve, night and day, 
Have I piloted your bay, 
Entered free and anchored fast at the foot of Solidor. 
Burn the fleet, and ruin France ? That were worse than fifty 
Hogues ! 
Sirs, they know I speak the truth ! Sirs, believe me there's 
a way! 

' ' Only let me lead the line 

Have the biggest ship to steer, 

Get this ' Formidable ' clear, 
Make the others follow mine, 



328 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

And I lead them most and least by a passage I know well, 
Right to Solidor, past Greve, 

And there lay them safe and sound ; 
And if one ship misbehave — 
Keel so much as grate the ground — 
Why, I've nothing but my life here's my head !" cries Herve Riel. 

Not a minute more to wait ! 

' ' Steer us in, then, small and great ! 
Take the helm, lead the line, save the squadron!" cried its chief. 

' ' Captains, give the sailor place ! 
He is admiral, in brief." 

Still the north wind, by God's grace ; 

See the noble fellow's face 

As the big ship, with a bound, 

Clears the entry like a hound, 
Keeps the passage as its inch of way were the wide seas pro- 
found ! 

See, safe through shoal and rock, 
How they follow in a flock ! 
Not a ship that misbehaves, not a keel that grates the ground, 
Not a spar that comes to grief ! 
The peril, see, is past, 
All are harbored to the last. 
And just as Herve Riel hollas "Anchor!" — sure as fate, 
Up the English come, too late. 

So the storm subsides to calm ; 

They see the green trees wave 

On the heights o'erlooking Greve ; 
Hearts that bled are stanched with balm. 
' ' Just our rapture to enhance, 

Let the English rake the bay, 
Gnash their teeth and glare askance 

As they cannonade away ! 
'Neath rampired Solidor pleasant riding on the Ranee!" 
Now hope succeeds despair on each captain's countenance ! 

Then said Damf reville, ' ' My friend, 
I must speak out at the end, 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 229 

Though I find the speaking hard ; 
Praise is deeper than the lips ; 
You have saved the king his ships, 

You must name your own reward . 
Faith, our sun was near eclipse ! 
Demand whate'er you will, 
France remains your debtor still. 
Ask to heart's content, and have! or my name's notDamfreville." 

Then a beam of fun outbroke 
On the bearded mouth that spoke, 
As the honest heart laughed through 
Those frank eyes of Breton blue : 
"Since I needs must say my say, 

Since on board the duty's done, 
And from Malo Roads to Croisic Point, what is it but a run ? — 
Since 'tis ask and have, I may — 

Since the others go ashore — 
Come ! A good whole holiday ! 
Leave to go and see my wife, whom I call the Belle Aurore!" 

That he asked, and that he got— nothing more. 

Name and deed alike are lost ; 
Not a pillar nor a post 
In his Croisic keeps alive the feat as it befell ; 
Not a head in white and black 
On a single fishing-smack, 
In memory of the man but for whom had gone to wrack 
All that France saved from the fight whence England bore 
the bell. 

Go to Paris ; rank on rank 

Search the heroes flung pell-mell 
On the Louvre, face and flank ; 
You shall look long enough ere you come to Herve Riel. 
So, for better and for worse, 
Herve Riel, accept my verse ! 
In my verse, Herve Riel, do thou once more 
Save the squadron, honor France, love thy wife, the Belle Aurore ! 

— Robert Browning. 



230 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

LESSOH XXXV. 



Against Whipping iii tlie Navy. 



[Study in oratorical action.] 

There is one broad proposition, Senators, upon which I stand. 
It is this — that an American sailor is an American citizen, and 
that no American citizen shall, with my consent, be subjected to 
the infamous punishment of the lash. Placing myself upon this 
proposition, I am prepared for any consequences. 

I love the navy. When I speak of the navy, I mean the sailor 
as well as the officer. They are all my fellow- citizens and yours ; 
and, come what may, my voice will ever be raised against a pun 
ishment which degrades my countrymen to the level of a brute, 
and destroys all that is worth living for— personal honor and 
self-respect. 

In many a bloody conflict has the superiority of American 
sailors decided the battle in our favor. I desire to secure and 
preserve that superiority. But can nobleness of sentiment or 
honorable pride of character dwell with one whose every muscle 
has been made to quiver under the lash ? Can he long continue 
to love a country whose laws crush out all the dignity of man- 
hood and rouse all the exasperation of hate in his breast ? 

Look to your history — that part of it which the world knows 
by heart — and you will find on its brightest page the glorious 
achievements of the American sailor. Whatever his country has 
done to disgrace him and break his spirit, he has never disgraced 
her. Man for man, he asks no odds, and he cares for no odds, 
when the cause of humanity or the glory of his country calls him 
to the fight. 

Who, in the darkest days of our Revolution, carried your flag 
into the very chops of the British Channel, bearded the lion 
in his den, and awoke the echo of old Albion's hills by the. 
thunder of his cannon and the shouts of his triumph ? It was 
the American sailor; and the names of John Paul Jones and 
the Bon Homme Richard will go down the annals of time 
forever. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 231 

Who struck the first blow that humbled the Barbary flag — 
which, for a hundred years, had been the terror of Christendom — 
drove it from the Mediterranean, and put an end to the infamous 
tribute it had been accustomed to exact ? It was the American 
sailor ; and the names of Decatur and his gallant companions will 
be as lasting as monumental brass. 

In your war of 1812, when your arms on shore were covered by 
disaster— when Winchester had been defeated, when the army of 
the Northwest had surrendered, and when the gloom of despond- 
ency hung like a cloud over the land — who first relit the fires of 
national glory, and made the welkin ring with the shouts of 
victory ? It was the American sailor ; and the name of Hull and 
the Constitution will be remembered as long as we have a coun- 
try to love. 

That one event was worth more to the Republic than all the 
money which has ever been expended for a navy. Since that 
day, the navy has had no stain upon its national escutcheon, but 
has been cherished as your pride and glory ; and the American 
sailor has established a reputation throughout the world, in peace 
and in war, in storm and in battle, for a heroism and prowess 
unsurpassed. 

The great climax of Cicero in his speech against Verres is, that, 
though a Roman citizen, his client had been scourged. Will this 
more than Roman Senate long debate whether an American citi- 
zen, sailor though he be, shall be robbed of his rghts ? whether 
freeman, as he is, he shall be scourged like a slave ? 

Shall an American citizen be scourged ? Forbid" it, Heaven ! 
Humanity forbid it ! For myself, I would rather seethe navy 
abolished, and the Stars and Stripes buried, with their glory, in 
the depths of the ocean, than that those who won for it all its 
renown should be subjected to a punishment so brutal, to an 
ignominy so undeserved. — Commodore Stockton. 



232 SBLECTIOJS/IS FOE PRACTICE. 

LESSOH XXXVI. 



Scene from "Julius Caesar." 

[Study in dramatic action.] 

Rome; a street. Enter Flavius and Marullus R., meeting a 
throng of citizens from L., iclio stand across the background. 

'Flavius. (c.) Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you home! 
Is this a holiday ? What ! know you not, 
Being mechanical, you ought not walk, 
Upon a laboring day, without the sign 
Of your profession ? — Speak, what trade art thou ? 

1st Cit. Why, sir, a carpenter. 

Marullus. (r.) Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? 
You, sir ; what trade are you ? 

2d Cit. (r. c.) Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am 
but, as you would say, a cobbler. 

Mar. But what trade art thou ? Answer me directly. 

2d Cit. A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe con- 
science ; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. 

Mar. What trade, thou knave, thou naughty knave, what 
trade ? 

2d Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me ; yet, if 
you be out, sir, I can mend you. 

Mar. What mean'st by that ? Mend me, thou saucy fellow ! 

2d Cit. Why, sir, cobble you. 

Flav. Thou art a cobbler, art thou ? 

2d Cit. Truly, sir, all that I live by is the awl : I meddle with 
no tradesman's matters, nor woman's matters — but with awl. I 
am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes ; when they are in great 
danger, I re-cover them. As proper men as ever trod upon 
neat's-leather have gone upon my handy-work. 

Flav, But wherefore art not in thy shop to-day ? 
Why dost thou lead these men about the streets ? 

2d Cit. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into 
more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar, and 
to rejoice in his triumph. 



SE LECTIO XS FOR PRACTICE. 233 

Mar, (l. c.) Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he 
home ? 
What tributaries follow him to Rome, 
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels ? 
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things. 
Oh, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, 
Knew you not Pompey ? Many a time and oft 
Have you climbed up to walls and battlements, 
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops, 
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat 
The livelong day, with patient expectation, 
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome ; 
And, when you saw his chariot but appear, 
Have you not made a universal shout, 
That Tiber trembled underneath his banks, 
To hear the replication of your sounds, 
Made in his concave shores ? 
And do you now cull out a holiday ? 
And do you now strew flowers in his way, 
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood 1 
Begone . 

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, 
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague 
That needs must light on this ingratitude. 

Flav. (c. ) Go, go, good countrymen ; and, for this fault, 
Assemble all the poor men of your sort ; 
Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears 
Into the channel, till the lowest stream 
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. 

[Exeunt Citizens r.] 

Mar. See, whe'r their basest metal be not moved; 
They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. 
Go you down that way towards the capitol ; 
This way will I. Disrobe the images, 
If you do find them decked with Caesar's trophies. 

Flav. (r.) May we do so ? 
You know it is the feast of Lupercal. 

Mar. (l.) It is no matter; 



234 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE, 

These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing, 
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch ; 
Who. else, would soar above the view of men, 
And keep us all in servile fearfulness. 

[Exeunt Marullus l., Flavius r.] 

— Shakespeare. 



LESSOH XXXYII. 



Supporting trie Guns. 



[Speak distinctly, in spite of the excitement and consequent rapidity with 
which parts of this selection must be given.] 

We have been fighting at the edge of the woods. Every car- 
tridge-box has been emptied once and more, and a fourth of the 
brigade has melted away in dead and wounded and missing. Not 
a cheer is heard in the whole brigade. We know that we are 
being driven foot by foot, and that when we break back once 
more the line will go to pieces and the enemy will pour through 
the gap. 

Here comes help ! 

Down the crowded highway gallops a battery, withdrawn from 
some other position to save ours. The field fence is scattered 
while you could count thirty, and the guns rush for the hill 
behind us. Six horses to a piece — three riders to each gun. Over 
dry ditches where a farmer would not drive a wagon ; through 
clumps of bushes, over logs a foot thick, every horse on the gal- 
lop, every rider lashing his team and yelling — the sight behind us 
makes us forget the foe in front. The guns jump two feet high 
as the heavy wheels strike rock or log, but not a horse slackens 
his pace, not a cannoneer loses his seat. Six guns, six caissons, 
sixty horses, eighty men race for the brow of the hill as if he 
who reached it first was to be knighted. 

A moment ago the battery Avas a confused mob. We look again 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 235 

and the six guns are in position, the detached horses hurrying 
away, the ammunition-chests open, and along our line runs the 
command : ' ' Give them one more volley and fall back to support 
the guns!" We have scarcely obeyed when boom! boom! boom! 
opens the battery, and jets of fire jump down and scorch the 
green trees under which we fought and despaired. 

The shattered old brigade has a chance to breathe for the first 
time in three hours as we form a line of battle behind the guns 
and lie down. What grim, cool fellows these cannoneers are ! 
Every man is a perfect machine. Bullets plash dust in their faces, 
but they do not wince. Bullets sing over and around them, 
but they do not dodge. There goes one to the earth, shot through 
the head as he sponged his gun. The machinery loses just one 
beat — misses just one cog in the wheel, and then works away 
again as before. 

Every gun is using short-fuse shell. The ground shakes and 
trembles — the roar shuts out all sounds from a battle line three 
miles long, and the shells go shrieking into the swamp to cut 
trees short off— to mow great gaps in the bushes — to hunt out 
and shatter and mangle men until their corpses cannot be recog- 
nized as human. You would think a tornado was howling through 
the forest, followed by billows of fire, and yet men live through it 
— aye ! press forward to capture the battery ! We can hear their 
shouts as they form for the rush. 

Now the shells are changed for grape and canister, and the 
guns are served so fast that all reports blend into one mighty 
roar. The shriek of a shell is the wickedest sound in war, but 
nothing makes the flesh crawl like the demoniac singing, purring, 
whistling grape-shot and the serpent-like hiss of canister. Men's 
legs and arms are not shot through, but torn off. Heads are torn 
from bodies and bodies cut in two. A round shot or shell takes 
two men out of the ranks as it crashes through. Grape and 
canister mow a swath and pile the dead on top of each other. 

Through the smoke we see a swarm of men. It is not a battle 
line, but a mob of men desperate enough to bathe their bayonets 
in the flame of the guns. The guns leap from the ground, almost 
as they are depressed on the foe, and shrieks and screams and 



B36 SELECTIONS FUR PBAQTICE. 

shouts blend into one awful and steady cry. Twenty men out of 
the battery are down, and the firing is interrupted. The foe 
accepts it as a sign of wavering, and come rushing on. They 
are not ten feet away when the guns give them a last shot. That 
discharge picks living men off their feet and throws them into 
the swamp, a blackened, bloody mass. 

Up now, as the enemy are among the guns ! There is a silence 
of ten seconds, and then the flash and roar of more than 3,000 
muskets, and a rush forward with bayonets. For what ? Neither 
on the right, nor left, nor in front of us is a living foe ! There 
are corpses around us which have been struck by three, four and 
even six bullets, and nowhere on this acre of ground is a 
wounded man ! The wheels of the guns cannot move until the 
blockade of dead is removed. Men cannot pass from caisson to 
gun without climbing over winrows of dead. Every gun and 
wheel is smeared with blood— every foot of grass has its horrible 
stain. 

Historians write of the glory of war. Burial parties saw mur- 
der where historians saw glory.— Detroit Free Press. 



LESSOK XXXVIII. 



Kacilis Descensus. 



[Study of facial expression.] 

"O where are you going with your love-locks flowing, 
On the west wind blowing along this valley track?" 

' ' The down-hill path is easy, come with me an it please ye, 
We shall escape the up-hill by never turning back. " 

So they two went together in glowing August weather; 

The honey-breathing heather lay to their left and right ; 
And dear she was to doat on, her swift feet seemed to float on 

The air like soft twin pigeons too sportive to alight. 



SE LECTIO XS FOR PRACTICE. 237 

'Oh, what is that in heaven where gray cloud-flakes are seven, 
Where blackest clouds hang riven just at the rainy skirt?" 

• Oh, that's a meteor sent us, a message dumb, portentous. 
An undeciphered solemn signal of help or hurt," 

'Oh, what is that glides quickly where velvet flowers grow 
thickly, 
Their scent comes rich and sickly?" "A scaled and hooded 
worm." 

• Oh, what's that in the hollow, so pale I quake to follow ? " 
"Oh, that's a thin dead body which waits the eternal term." 

'Turn again, O my sweetest— turn again, false and fleetest. 
This beaten way thou beatest, I fear is hell's own track." 

■ Nay, too steep for hill mounting ; nay, too late for cost counting: 
This down-hill path is easy, but there's no turning back." 

— The Congregationalist. 



The Alan in trie Moon. 

By permission of the Publisher, F. T. Noel. v. 
[For comic facial expression.] 
Oh, the man in the moon has a crick in his back; 
Whee ! 

Whimm ! 

Ain't you sorry for him ? 
And a mole on his nose that is purple and black ; 
And his eyes are so weak that they water and run, 
If he dares to dream even he looks at the sun. 
So he just dreams of stars, as the doctors advise. 
My! 

Eyes: 

But isn't he wise 
To just dream of stars as the doctors advise? 

And the man in the moon has a boil on his ear ; 
Whee ! 

Whimm ! 

What a singular thing! 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

I know ! but these facts are authentic, my dear— 
There's a boil on his ear and a corn on his chin- 
He calls it a dimple, but dimples stick in ; 
Yet it might be a dimple turned over, you know; 
Whang ! 

Ho! 

Why, certainly so ! 
It might be a dimple turned over, you know ! 

And the man in the moon has a rheumatic knee ; 
Gee! 

Whizz ! 

What a pity that is ! 
And his toes have worked round where his heels ought to be ; 
So whenever he wants to go north he goes south, 
And comes back with the porridge crumbs all round his mouth, 
And he brushes them off with a Japanese fan. 
Whing ! 

Whann ! 

What a marvelous man ! 
What a very remarkable, marvelous man ! 

— James Whitcomb Riley. 



LESSOH XXXIX. 



From "A. Tramp Abroad.' 



By peraiission of the American Publishing Co., Hartford, Conn. 
[Humorous and poetic description and imitation.] 
It may interest the reader to know how they ' ' put horses to " 
on the Continent. The man stands up the horses on each side of 
the thing that projects from the front end of the wagon, and then 
throws the tangled mess of gear on top of the horses, and passes 
the thing that goes forward through a ring and hauls it aft, and 
passes the other thing through the other ring and hauls it aft on 
the other side of the other horse, opposite to the first one, after 
crossing them and bringing the loose end back, and then buckles 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 239 

the other thing underneath the horse, and takes another thing 
and wraps it around the thing I spoke of before, and puts another 
thing over each horse's head, with broad flappers to it to keep 
the dust out of his eyes, and puts the iron thing in his mouth for 
him to grit his teeth on up hill, and brings the ends of these things 
aft over his back, after buckling another one around under his 
neck to hold his head up, and hitching another thing on a thing 
that goes over his shoulders to keep his head up when he is 
climbing a hill, and then takes the slack of the thing which I 
mentioned a while ago, and fetches it aft and makes it fast to 
the thing that pulls the wagon, and hands the other things up to 
the driver to steer with. I never have buckled up a horse 
myself, but I do not think we do it that way. 

We had four very handsome horses, and the driver was very 
proud of his turnout. He would bowl along on a reasonable trot 
on the highway, but when he entered a village he did it on a 
furious run, and accompanied it with a frenzy of ceaseless whip- 
crackings, that sounded like volleys of musketry. . He tore 
through the narrow streets and around sharp curves like a mov- 
ing earthquake, showering his volleys as he went, and before 
him swept a continuous tidal wave of scampering children, ducks, 
cats, and mothers clasping babies which they had snatched out 
of the way of the coming destruction ; and as this living wave 
washed aside along the walls, its elements, being safe, forgot 
their fears and turned their admiring gaze upon that gallant 
driver till he thundered around the next curve and was lost to 
sight. 

About noon we made a two-hours' stop at a village hotel. 
There was a lake here, in the lap of the great mountain. The 
green slopes that rose toward the lower crags were graced with 
scattered Swiss cottages nestling among miniature farms and 
gardens, and from out a leafy ambuscade in the upper heights 
tumbled a brawling cataract. 

Next to me at the table d'hote sat an English bride, and next 
to her sat her new husband, whom she called "Neddy," though 
he was big enough and stalwart enough to be entitled to his full 
name. They had a pretty little lovers' quarrel over what wine 
they should have. Neddy was for obeying the guide-book and 
taking the wine of the country ; but the bride said : 



2-40 SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 

-■ What, thai nahsty stuff !" 

" It isn't nahsty, pet, it's quite good." 

■•It is nahsty." 

•• No, it isn't nahsty." 

" It's of til nahsty. Neddy, and I shan't drink it." 

Then the question was, what she must have. She said he 
knew very well that she never drank anything but champagne. 
She added : 

'•You know very well papa always has champagne on his 
table, and I've alwaj^s been used to it." 

Neddy made a playful pretense of being distressed about the 
expense, and this amused her so much that she nearly exhausted 
herself with laughter, and this pleased Mm so much that he 
repeated his jest a couple of times, and added new and killing 
varieties to it. When the bride finally recovered, she gave 
Neddy a love-box on the arm with her fan, and said, with arch 
severity : 

"Well, you would have me — nothing else would do — so you'll 
have to make the best of a bad bargain. Do order the cham- 
pagne; I'm of ul dry." 

So, with a mock groan, which made her laugh again, Neddy 
ordered the champagne. 

The fact that this young woman had never moistened the 
selvedge edge of her soul with a less plebeian tipple than cham- 
pagne had a marked and subduing effect upon Harris. He 
believed she belonged to the royal family. But I had my doubts. 

— Mark Twain. 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 241 

LESSOH XL, 



Mont Blanc Before Sunrise. 

[Study for reverential feeling. Do not try to describe these pictures. Simply 
express the emotions the poem awakens in you, and your audience will 
feel them also.] 

Hast thou a charm to stay the morning- star 
In his steep course ? So long he seems to pause 
On thy bald, awful head, O sovereign Blanc ! 
The Arve and Arveiron at thy base 
Rave ceaselessly; but thou, most awful form, 
Risest from forth thy silent sea of pines, 
How silently ! Around thee, and above, 
Deep is the air and dark, substantial, black, 
An ebon mass : methinks thou piercest it 
As with a wedge. But when I look again 
It is thine own calm home, thy crystal shrine, 
Thy habitation from eternity. 

dread and silent mount ! I gazed upon thee 
Till thou, still present to the bodily sense, 

Didst vanish from my thought : entranced in prayer 

1 worshipped the Invisible alone. 

Yet, like some sweet beguiling melody, — 

So sweet we know not we are listening to it, — 

Thou, the meanwhile, wast blending with my thought, 

Yea. with my life, and life's own secret joy; 

Till the dilating soul, enrapt. transfused, 

Into the mighty vision passing — there, 

As in her natural form, swelled vast to heaven. 

Awake, my soul ! not only passive praise 
Thou owest ! not alone these swelling tears, 
Mute thanks, and secret ecstasy! Awake, 
Voice of sweet song! Awake, my heart, awake! 
Green vales and icy cliffs! all join my hymn ' 



342 SELECTIONS EOR PRACTICE, 

Thou first and chief, sole sovereign of the vale ! 
Oh. struggling with the darkness all the night, 
And visited all night by troops of stars, 
Or when they climb the sky, or when they sink,— 
Companion of the morning star at dawn, 
Thyself earth's rosy star, and of the dawn 
Co-herald — wake ! O wake ! and utter praise ! 
"Who sank thy sunless pillars deep in earth? 
Who filled thy countenance with rosy light ? 
Who made thee parent of perpetual streams ? 

And you, ye five wild torrents fiercely glad ! 

Who called you forth from night and utter death, 

From dark and icy caverns called you forth, 

Down those precipitous, black, jagged rocks, 

Forever shattered, and the same forever ? 

Who gave you your invulnerable life, 

Your strength, your speed, your fury and your joy, 

Unceasing thunder, and eternal foam ? 

And who commanded — and the silence came — 

"Here let the billows stiffen and have rest?" 

Ye ice- falls! ye that from the mountain's brow 
Adown enormous ravines slope amain,— 
Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, 
And stopped at once amid their maddest plunge ! 
Motionless torrents ; silent cataracts ! 
Who made you glorious as the gates of heaven 
Beneath the keen full moon ? Who bade the sun 
Clothe you with rainbows ? Who, with living flowers 
Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet ? 

"God!" let the torrents, like a shout of nations, 
Answer! and let the ice-plain echo, "God!" 
"God!" sing, ye meadow streams, with gladsome voice 
Ye pine groves, with your soft and soul-like sounds! 
And they, too, have a voice, yon piles of snow, 
And in their perilous fall shall thunder, "God! " 



SELECTIONS FOR PRACTICE. 243 

Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost ! 
Ye wild goats sporting round the eagle's nest! 
Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm ! 
Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds ! 
Ye signs and wonders of the elements ! 
Utter forth "God!" and fill the hills with praise! 

Thou, too, hoar mount ! with thy sky-pointing peaks, 

Oft from whose feet the avalanche, unheard 

Shoots downward, glittering through the pure serene 

Into the depth of clouds that veil thy breast, — 

Thou, too, again, stupendous mountain ! thou 

That, as I raise my head, awhile bowed low 

In adoration, upward from thy base 

Slow travelling, with dim eyes suffused with tears, 

Solemnly seemest, like a vapory cloud, 

To rise before me, — rise, oh, ever rise ! 

Rise, like a cloud of incense, from the earth ! 

Thou kingly spirit, throned among the hills, 

Thou dread ambassador from earth to heaven, 

Great Hierarch ! tell thou the silent sky, 

And tell the stars, and tell yon rising sun, 

Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God. 

—S. T. Coleridge. 



Note to Lesson XXIII., page 204, and to Lesson XXXVI., Page 232. 

The accompanying diagram explains the usual stage directions 
thai are found in acting editions of plays and dialog 



/ •• Up stage " or back. \ 

R. 3 E. 1.. I E 

' R. R. C. C. L. C. L. ' 

R. 2 E. Right. Right Centre. Centre. Left Centre. Left. T " - El 



'Down stage" or front. 



The Audience. 

Side entrances.— Right or Left, 1st. l 2d. 3rd. and upper entrance. 

Doors at back.— Right centre, centre and left centre. 

Principal characters come to or near the centre, subordinate characters, 
and principals also, when for the time they give place to others, belong 
'•upstage." 

The actor should stand so that his face is easily seen by the 
audience, unless there is an especial reason for turning his back 
upon them; for this reason, the foot nearest the person whom he 
is addressing on the stage should be the foot furthest "up stage," 
and in pacing to and fro the last step at either side of the stage 
should always be upon this foot, so that the transition to the 
other direction can be made without turning the back on the 
audience. In grouping a number of characters on the stage the 
chief thing to be borne in mind is that everyone should be so 
placed that he can be easily seen from the front. The simplest 
form is the arc of a circle, but if the arc is broken into a number 
of little groups the effect is more artistic. Often the principals 
are grouped in the front with subordinates up the stage. One of 
the most difficult accomplishments of the actor is the exit or 
departure from the stage. It should always be made expressive 
in the highest degree. After an impassioned speech amateurs 
often walk tamely off with an air as if all were finished; on the 
contrary, the exit should emphasize the prevailing mood, whethi v 
of love, hate, joy or sorrow. Entrances, exits and all other 
changes of position should be accomplished gracefully, avoiding 
angularity. 

(244) 



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AUNT RHODY'S DREAM.— Yankee dialect 
story of an old woman who, having had a 
theological controversy with a deacon, 
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MONEY MUSK.— Poem by Bayard Taylor. 
Lesson-Talk by Mrs. Banks.— Humorous ac- 
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THE MOTHER'S EASTER SCARF.— Story 
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A QUART OF MILK.— Dutch dialect story 
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VAN BIBBER'S ROCK.— A man pursued 
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ALINE'S LOVE SONG.— A courting scene, 
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RUTHIE'S FAITH LN PRAYER.— A little 
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BRIDGET'S MISSION JUG.— Irish dialect 
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DOT'S CHRISTMAS; OR THE SOBER 
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MEIN KATRINE'S BRUDDER HANS. — 
Humorous Dutch dialect. Very funny 
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Delsarte System of Oratory, 

CONTAINING THE UNABRIDGED WORKS OF 

M. I' Abbe Delaumosne and M me. Angelique Arnaud, 

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LITERARY REMAINS of FRANCOIS DELSARTE, 

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ARTICLE BY ALFRED GIRAUDET, the celebrated French singer, who 
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ARTICLE BY HECTOR BERLIOZ, a contemporary of DELSARTE, de- 
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MEDALLION PORTRAIT OF DELSARTE. 

PORTRAIT OF Mme. GERALDY, DELSARTE'S DAUGHTER. 



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HYGIENE OF THE VOCAL ORGANS, 

By SIR MORELL MACKENZIE. 

The Greatest Throat-Specialist writes a PRAC- 
TICAL HAND-BOOK for SINGERS and 
SPEAKERS. A scientific book in 
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Fifty cases of eminent singers are tabulated, showing the shape of the 
glottis and the condition of the vocal cords during singing. — These tables 
are most valuable ; nothing of the kind has ever been published. 



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Tie Solo Siiort Me-Ioni ani tie Solo Simr, 

By SINCLAIR DUNN. 

These exercises, given both in the staff and the tonic sol-fa notations, 
will be found of great service in producing, strengthening and cultivating 
the voice, especially for solo singers. The exercises are selected from 
those used at the London Royal Academy of Music. There are hints 
"What to do" and "What to avoid." There are lists of songs, ballads, 
etc., for sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones and basses, also for duets, trios 
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The Throat and the Voice, 

By J. Solis Cohen, M.D. 

A Valuable Illustrated Primer for Voice-Users. 
Cloth; price, 50 cents, postpaid. 



Address the Publisher, 

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THE ART OF BREATHING 

As the Basis of Tone-Production. 

A Book Indispensable to all Educators, Teachers 
Preachers, Lawyers, Singers and Elocutionists, 
and to Every one Desirous of Having a 
Pleasant Voice and Good Health. 

By LEO KOFLER, 

Organist and Choirmaster of St. Paul's Chapel, Trinity Parish, New York. 
Being a Revised and Enlarged Edition of " The Old Italian School of Singing.'''' 



SOME OF THE SUBJECTS TREATED. 

History of the Book : Autobiographical Sketch of the Author's Professional Career ; 
The Study of Physiology Indispensable to the Vocal Teacher ; Imitation or Cultiva- 
tion by Means of the Ear an Important Agency ; Singing-Lessons by Mail an Unmiti- 
gated Humbug ; Nationality no Criterion of a Teacher's Merit ; Vocal Critics and 
Critical Vocalists ; The Act of Inspiration ; Clavicular or High-Chest Breathing ; 
Costal or Rib-Breathing ; Diaphragmatic Breathing ; Take Breath with the Combined 

Breathing-Muscles the Full Breath ; Can a Woman Accustom Herself to this 

Full Diaphragmatic Breath-Taking- The Vagueness of Physiological Terms the 
Cause of Confusion in Determining the Method of Breathing ; Take Breath Through 
the Nostrils ; Obstructed Nostrils ; The Regular Process of Respiration Outside of 
Singing and Speaking ; The Short or Quick Taking of the Breath ; The Act of Expi- 
ration During Singing ; Retain the Breath a Little While ; The Larynx and the Vocal 
Ligaments Controlled Automatically bv the Breathing-Muscles ; Method of Relaxing 
the Lungs During Singing ; General Rule for Taking Breath and for Managing it 
During Singing and Speaking ; Method of Relaxing the Lungs During 
Speaking ; Advice to Singers and Elocutionists ; Breathing-Gymnastics the 
Source of Health ; Breathing-Gymnastics Indispensable to Every Vocalist ; Direc- 
tions for the Healthful Use of Breathing-Gymnastics; The Positions of the 
Body for Practicing the Breathing-Gymnastics ; Laws of Tone-Production ; The So- 
called Singing Methods or Manuals ; Preliminary Steps in Voice-Culture ; Time of 
Life when Cultivation of Voice should Begin ; Selection of a Singing-Teacher ; The 
Easy Range of Tones and Classification of Voices ; Resonance-Chambers for the 
Formation of Vowels and Consonants ; The Immovable and the Movable Parts of 
the Resonance-Cavities ; How to Form Pure Vowels ; Reading at Sight ; Vocaliza- 
tion or Articulation Exercises ? The Vowels that should first be Practiced; The Com- 
pletion of a Tone ; Humming Exercises ; Practice of the Trill ; Swell Tones ; Messa 
di Voce ; The Staccato ; How to Equalize the Vocal Registers or Breaks of Both 
Men and Women ; The Mixed Voice, the Falsetto and the Male Alto ; Male Sopra- 
nos and Altos of the Old Italian School ; Remedies for Faulty Tone- Production and 
Other Defects, such as Lisping, Stuttering, Defective r, etc.; Treatment of the Con- 
sonants. 

SOME OF THE EXERCISES. 

The Full Breath with the Combined Breathing-Muscles ; The Healthful Lung-Sweeper ; 
To Gain Control of the Air in Slow Expansion of the Lungs ; Holdins: of the 
Breath ; Opening the Lung-Cells by Percussion of the Upper Chest, Shoulders and 
Back ; Improving the Elasticity of the Rib-Cartilages ; Expanding the Upper Chest : 
The Slow Relaxation of the Lung-s ; Control of the Breath both in Inspiration and 
La Expiration ; Tension of the Vocal Ligaments ; Muscle-Practice for Loud, Sus- 
tained Tones ; Control of the Slow Relaxation of the Lungs During Speaking and 
Soft Singing ; Practice of the Explosives and the Repeated Retention of the Breath ; 
Marcato; Staccato ; Muscle-Practice for the Crescendo and Decrescendo ; Muscle- 
Practice for the Swell Tones, or the Crescendo and Decrescendo in one Breath ; etc. 



Finely Printed and Bound. Numerous cuts and music Illustrations. 
TEACHERS' NET PRICE, $2.00 POSTPAID. 



Address the Publisher, 
EDGAR S. WERNER, 108 East 16th Street, New York. 



Helen Potter's impersonations. 

iCIMEN ILL! 



■a * , a g £ 



"bgo^S 




s-H^a £ 



3' 7 i J = 8. 



= 2 g 5 

P J? CD C * 






US|5 | 



COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED; FINELY PRINTED AND ELEGANTL\ BOUND. 
Teachers' not price, $2.00, postpaid. 

EDGAR S. WERNER, Publisher, ioS East i6th St., New York. 




m&*3 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



n 027 249 803 9, 



